Sri Lankan president appoints new Cabinet of 17 ministers amid protests against him

mode1 mode1 Apr 18, 2022 11:40 1178 0

Sri Lankan president appoints new Cabinet of 17 ministers amid protests against him

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a new cabinet of 17 ministers amid the ongoing anti-government protests in the country following the economic and political crisis.

Mr Rajapaksa had initially dismissed his cabinet of ministers and had called on opposition parties to help form a new government. But they had refused.

He has now re-appointed a number of his party members to several posts.

 

Sri Lanka is grappling with its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948. It is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that Sri Lanka cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.

 

With power cuts lasting half a day or more, and shortages of food, medicines and fuel, public anger reached a new high.

The new Cabinet ministers were sworn in before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa a short while ago. The full list of new ministers below: 

  1. Dinesh Gunawardena – Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provicnial Councils and Local Government 
  2. Douglas Devananda – Minister of Fisheries 
  3. Dr. Ramesh Pathirana – Minister of Education and Plantation Industries 
  4. Prasanna Ranatunga – Minister of Public Security and Tourism 
  5. Dilum Amunugama – Minister of Transport and Industries 
  6. Kanaka Herath – Minister of Highways 
  7. Vidura Vickramanayake – Minister of Labour
  8. Janaka Wakkumbura - Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation 
  9. Shehan Semasinghe – Minister of Trade and Samurdhi Development 
  10. Mohan Priyadarshana de Silva – Minister of Water Supplies 
  11. Wimalaweera Dissanayake – Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation 
  12. Kanchana Wijesekara – Minister of Power and Energy 
  13. Thenuka Vidanagamage – Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs 
  14. Dr. Nalaka Godahewa – Minister of Mass Media
  15. Prof. Channa Jayasumana – Minister of Health 
  16. Naseer Ahamed – Minister of Environment 
  17. Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon – Minister of Ports and Shipping