Ample room at Cabinet meeting - Cabinet spokesman

COLOMBO: There was enough room at the Cabinet meeting for all the Ministers to sit comfortably and to express diverse opinions, Cabinet spokesman Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said yesterday.

Answering a question raised by a journalist on whether the Government had found a room that can accommodate all the Cabinet Ministers, Minister Yapa said: “Yes. It was a spacious room where all had ample room.”

This was the first Cabinet meeting held after the induction of UNP, SLMC and UPF MPs to the Cabinet. The Minister disclosed that the Cabinet meeting took place on Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Temple Trees.

“It was a very cordial meeting. Everyone already knew each other so there was a friendly atmosphere,” he added.

Around 40 Cabinet papers have been discussed during the meeting.Asked whether there could be overlapping of Ministerial functions in the new Cabinet, Minister Yapa said no such fears should be entertained as the functions of each Ministry and Minister will be defined.

“In any case, a Minister can hand over certain subjects and functions to his non-Cabinet Ministers. The Deputy Minister si also actively involved in the work of the Ministry. This is a productive arrangement. There are so many institutions under one Ministry, so many functions to oversee, that it makes sense to have several Ministers,” he added.