ECONOMYNEXT – With prospects of an all-party government in crisis-hit Sri Lanka looking increasingly dim, several MPs representing the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) have been appointed as state ministers before President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
SLFP MP Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was sworn in as State Minister of Finance before the president Thursday September 08 morning.
The new appointments came after repeated calls by President Wickremesinghe for an all-party government were either ignored or avoided by opposition parties. Wickremesinghe sought the support of all parties represented in parliament, particularly the main opposition the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and party seniors like Harsha de Silva, to see Intentional Monetary Fund (IMF)-recommended economic reforms through, but the SJB, the Tamil National Alliance and the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led Nationl People’s Power (NPP) among other parties declined.
SLPP MP Janaka Wakkaumbara was appointed as State Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government.
Other appointments are as follows:
Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva, State Minister of Agriculture
Lasantha Alagiyawanna, State Minister of Transport
Vijitha Berugoda, State Minister of Piriven Education
Lohan Ratwatte, State Minister of Plantation Industries
Sanath Nishantha, State Minister of Water Supply
Indika Anurudhdha, State Minister of Power and Energy
Siripala Gamlath, State Minister of Highways
Shantha Bandara, State Minister of Media
Prasanna Ranaweera, State Minister of Small and Medium Scale Industries
D V Chanaka, State Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation
D B Herath, State Minister of Livestock Development
Shasheendra Rajapaksa, State Minister of Irrigation
Dr Seetha Arambepola, State Minister of Health
