COLOMBO, November 2019: 15 ministers were sworn in before President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on November 22, a day after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn-in as the new Prime Minister.
The 16-member Cabinet, essentially an interim government that is set to function until parliamentary elections are held, most probably in the first half of 2020, includes Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Minister of Defense, Public Security, Law and Order, Finance, Economic Affairs, Policy Development, Buddha Sasana, Cultural, Water Supply and Urban Development.
The new Cabinet is as follows:
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa – Minister of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order, Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs, Policy Development, Buddha Sasana, Cultural, Water Supply & Urban Development, Housing Facilities
Nimal Siripala de Silva – Minister of Justice, Human Rights & Legal Reforms
Arumugam Thondaman – Minister of Community Empowerment & Estate Infrastructure
Dinesh Gunawardene – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Skills Development, Employment & Labour Relations
Douglas Devananda – Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources
Pavithra Wanniarachchi – Minister of Women & Child Affairs, Social Security, Health & Indigenous Medicine
Bandula Gunawardene – Minister of Information & Communications Technology, Higher Education, Technology & Innovations
Janaka Bandara Tennakoon – Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils & Local Government
Chamal Rajapaksa – Minister of Mahaweli Development, Agriculture &Trade
Dullas Alahapperuma – Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Affairs
Johnston Fernando – Minister of Roads & Highways, Ports & Shipping
Wimal Weerawansa – Minister of Small Medium Enterprise(SME) & Enterprise Development, Industries & Supply Management
Mahinda Amaraweera – Minister of Passenger Transport, Power & Energy
S. M. Chandrasena – Minister of Environment, Wildlife, Land & Land Development
Ramesh Pathirana – Minister of Plantations & Export Agriculture
Prasanna Ranatunga – Minister of Industrial Exports & Investment Promotions, Tourism & Aviation
“I congratulate the new members of the cabinet. Together with the interim cabinet that was just appointed until the Parliamentary Election, we look forward to serving all Sri Lankans,” Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a statement on his official twitter account soon after the new cabinet took oaths.
The new cabinet was appointed two days after Ranil Wickremesinghe, the former prime minister stepped down from his post after his ruling party candidate, Sajith Premadasa was defeated by Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the Presidential Election held on November 16.
Wickremesinghe said he stepped down from the premiership to enable the new president to form a new cabinet, respecting the people’s mandate.
