President Rajapakse yesterday (18) appointed a new cabinet to meet the demands of protesters who have been gathering at the Galle Face for more than a week. Accordingly he named 17 members to the cabinet, dropping most seniors and appointing younger members in an attempt to calm growing public anger over the worsening economic situation in the country. All former Rajapakse ministers have been removed from office in response to popular demand for the abolition of family rule. Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa and Shasheendra Rajapaksa who previously held portfolios were left out from the new cabinet.
The 17 ministers appointed yesterday are in addition to Finance Minister Ali Sabry and Minister of Foreign Affairs G.l. Peiris who were appointed earlier this month following the en masse resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers on 7 April. However, no one has yet been appointed for Ministry of Justice.
1. Dinesh Gunawardena – Public Administration, Internal Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government
2. Douglas Devananda – Fisheries
3. Dr. Ramesh Pathirana – Education and Plantation Industries
4. Prasanna Ranatunga – Public Security and Tourism
5. Dilum Amunugama – Transport and Industries
6. Kanaka Herath – Highways
7. Vidura Wickramanayake – Labour
8. Janaka Wakkumbura – Agriculture and Irrigation
9. Shehan Semasinghe – Trade and Samurdhi Development
10. Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva – Water Supply
11. Wimalaweera Dissanayake – Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation
12. Kanchana Wijesekera – Power and Energy
13. Thenuka Vidanagamage -Sports and Youth Affairs
14. Dr. Nalaka Godahewa – Media
15. Professor Channa Jayasumana – Health
16. Naseer Ahamed – Environment
17. Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon – Ports and Shipping
12 out of the 17 appointees are first time cabinet ministers.
Meanwhile 24 new state ministers also appointed by the president yesterday.
2. Rohana Dissanayake – State Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government
3. Arundhika Fernando – State Minister of Plantations
4. Lohan Ratwatte – State Minister of Urban Development
5. Tharaka Balasuriya – State Minister of External Affairs
6. Indika Anurudhdha – State Minister of Housing
7. Sanath Nishantha – State Minister of Water Supply
8. Siripala Gamlath – State Minister of Mahaweli
9. Anuradha Jayaratne – State Minister of Irrigation
10. Sisira Jayakody – State Minister of Indigenous Medicine
11. Prasanna Ranaweera – State Minister of Industries
12. D.V. Chanaka – State Minister of Tourism and Fisheries
13. D.B. Herath – State Minister of Livestock
14. Kader Masthan – State Minister of Rural Economic Crop Cultivation and Promotion
15. Ashoka Priyantha – State Minister of Trade
16. A. Aravind Kumar – State Minister of Estate Housing and Community Infrastructure
17. Geetha Kumarasinghe – State Minister of Culture and Performing Arts
18. Gunapala Ratnasekera – State Minister of Cooperative Services, Business Development and Consumer Protection
19. Kapila Nuwan Athukorala – State Minister of Development of Minor Crops Plantation
20. Dr. Gayashan Navananda – State Minister of Health
21. Surendra Raghavan – State Minister of Education Services and Reforms
22. Diana Gamage – State Minister of Transport
23. Dr. Seetha Arambepola –State Minister of Education and Technology
24. Vijitha Berugoda – State Minister of Ports and Shipping
State Ministers Piyal Nishantha and Piyankara Jayarathne continue to hold their portfolios
