Dissatisfaction Galore In The New Cabinet
- Curtailed Cabinet
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
A large number of newly appointed cabinet ministers are expressing their dissatisfaction over the portfolios allocated to them. Soon after the swearing in ceremony a senior member of the ruling party Nimal Siripala De Silva was overheard making rude comments about his portfolio. Silva, the former Minister of Health was appointed as Minister for Irrigation. Analysts said that Former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake (Public Management and Reforms), John Seneviratne (Public Administration and Home Affairs) and A. H.M. Fowzie ( Disaster Management) have all been demoted. The President himself held on to four key ministries (Defence, Finance and Planning, Ports and Aviation and Highways).
The biggest winner is the President’s younger brother Basil Rajapaksa appointed to the cabinet for the first time as the Minister for Economic Development. He is expected to get key economic institutions under his Ministry.
The President gave some of the other key ministries to members of constituent parties of the Alliance. Wimal Weerawansa got the key ministry of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities while Champika Ranawaka the financially lucrative Ministry of Power and Energy. Others to benefit were those who crossed over from the United National Party, most of whom got key ministries. Rajitha Senaratna was appointed as Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Johnston Fernando as Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade, and Gamini Lokuge as Minister for Labour Relations and Productivity Improvement.
Several key members of the former Cabinet have been left out from the new Cabinet of 37 ministers. Among them are Dr. Sarath Amunugama, former Defence Spokesperson and Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Keheliya Rambukwella, the leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress Arumugam Thondaman who held the portfolio of Youth Empowerment and Socio Economic Development and former Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana, who was also the head of the All Party Representatives Committee.
Several non-Cabinet ministers in the previous government like former Power Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Tourism Promotions Minister Faizer Mustapha have also been left out.
MPs from the Kandy District have been left out of the cabinet temporarily until an inquiry into malpractice at the general election is over. Informed sources say two cabinet ministers and two deputy ministers would be appointed from the eight UPFA members elected from Kandy District.
Apart from the 37 cabinet ministers, the President appointed 39 deputy ministers. Another notable absentee is Naveen Dissanayake who had reportedly turned down an offer of a deputy ministerial post.
In a shocking move, the President appointed controversial UPFA Parliamentarian Mervyn Silva as the Deputy Media Minister. There is no minister for the media portfolio in the current cabinet.
Silva has been accused of carrying out several attacks against the media and the President himself had been requested to intervene to settle the issues.
The President had to intervene to resolve the clash between Silva and Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) employees, which commenced after Silva was forcibly held and attacked by SLRC employees when he entered the premises and threatened a member of the staff in December 2008.
Meanwhile, SLFP Vice President Vinyagamurthy Muralitharan, alias Karuna Amman, was appointed as Deputy Minister for Resettlement in the new government.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing the ministers after the swearing-in ceremony, said it was a difficult task to allocate ministries to governing party members given the decision to curb the number of ministries.
The President also called on the ministers to set an example to the young UPFA members of parliament while fulfilling their duties.
Please visit http://www.lankaopinionpolls.com and cast your vote to see the popularity of the decesion made to appoint Dr. Mervyn de Silva as the deputy Minister for Media.
Thick as Thieves.
This president is breaking all barriers and reducing the standard of this govt and ministers to gutter level. What opinion will the majority have of this lunatic to appoint another lunatic tas deputy media minister. I really regret the situation the Slanka has got into and we Must get our of this mess that MR is putting the country into…what a rogue and currupt president we have managed to get or got ourselves cheated into,
Leela,
Of course, I am open to correction. I am not a scholar. what I meant by the word “silence”. his teachings did not include the concept of God.
1. Patika Sutta, Digha Nikaya (No.24) confirms the view of Buddha on concept of creations and creator, he says that “the purpose of my teaching Dhamma is to lead whoever practices it to the total destruction of suffering”. Then what purpose would the performance of miracles server? Consider, you foolish man, how far the fault is yours. he was talking to Sunakkhatta a follower of him.
” then Sunakkhatta asked Buddha,
‘”Well, Lord, you do not teach the beginning of things.”
“And did I ever say to you: ‘Come under my rule and I will teach you th e beginning of things’?”
“No, Lord.”
“…Such being the case, you FOOLISH man, who are you and what are you giving up?” this conversation is enough to prove he is silent on concept of God.
Though, he did not want to teach the concept of creations of things to his followers he argued with a group of Bhaggava, some ascetics and Brahmins saying he knew the origin of creations and he did not dispute the concept of creator. it is a long description I cannot include it here.
2. The Bhuridatta Jataka is a story of king of Benares and Nagga I could not find your quotation in it, BUT
Behold, I found them in an article of “Ambedkar” under the subtitle of god, a word to word copying however, those could possibly be words of buddha when he was a young prince this thoughts drove him to meditate. and I do not know if he found answer for them but they are abundantly described in Holy Quran I quote two of them.
3;186 You shall certainly be tried respecting your wealth and your souls, and you shall certainly hear from those who have been given the Book before you and from those who are polytheists much annoying talk; and if you are patient and guard (against evil), surely this is one of the affairs (which should be) determined upon.
2;155 And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast,
Was Buddha looking for the answer to the questions of pain and suffering or to the question of God? If he was, then he would have found them for example in perfectness and explicit order in creation of human, animals, plants sea, earth etc…
What the hell this has to do with the story!
Everywhere you chaps try to poke religion into everyones throat.
Try to find another forum and fight each persons beliefs out.
I heard Tiran Alles is going to join the Government – where a Minister Post is in the offing, is there any truth in this?
Kumar Sangakkara and Podi Baby are same
That is why they all gave him votes to change the constitution: Now there is no point arguing about it>
MR can slice and dice anyway he want as he is the Hora King. But, the real power lies with his brothers and everything else is pure hogwash.
These fools will come to their senses soner or later. After all what is worse than a used condom?