Colombo, Feb 25 : Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday reshuffled some of his cabinet ministers in a bid to strengthen the national unity government.
According a statement from the president’s office, he announced changes to six cabinet ministers, three state ministers and one deputy minister, saying that the government needed to improve its policies, programmes and actions to serve the people better.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe added the portfolio of law and order to his responsibilities while retaining his earlier portfolio of Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs.
This is the second time the cabinet was reshuffled since the formation of the unity government in 2015 between the United National Party and United People’s Freedom Alliance which has been facing political unrest after their defeat in the local government polls held earlier this month.
Former Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka was sworn in as Minister of Youth Affairs while keeping his Ministry of Southern Development.
Senior United National Party (UNP) legislator, Lakshman Kiriella was sworn in as Minister of State Enterprise and Kandyan Development while Kabir Hashim was sworn in as Minister of Higher Education and Highways.
Harsha De Silva was sworn in as State Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs while Ajith Perera was sworn in as State Minister of Prisons and Rehabilitation.
Those reshuffled on Sunday were from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party while another reshuffle within the President’s UPFA is expected to take place next week.
President Sirisena congratulated the newly appointed ministers and said these changes as well as those changes soon to be made in his UPFA will strengthen the government to better serve its people.
