KARU JAYASURIYA BECOMES NEW MINISTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND MANGALA LOSES FOREIGN MINISTRY TO BOGOLLAGAMA

By Walter Jayawardhana

Several members of the main opposition United National Party and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, an ally of the United National Party joined the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa .
The UNP team was led by the party’s deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya who was accompanied by senior Vice Presidents of the party like R.M.Dharmadasa Banda and M.H.Mohamed.

In the cabinet reshuffle due to the joining of the UNPers the biggest loser was Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera who lost the powerful portfolio to Rohitha Bogollagama ,a former UNPer who joined Rajapaksa earlier than others. Anura Bandaranaike , lost his Ministry of Tourism to Milinda Moragoda.

But Samarawera retains his Ports and Aviation Ministry in the new cabinet reshuffle and Anura Bandaranaike was sworn in as the Minister of National Heritage.

Former deputy leader of the UNP Mr Karu Jayasuriya becomes Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister. Among the other UNP parlamentarians who joined the cabinet include Mr Milinda Moragoda, the new Minister of Tourism and G.L.Peiris, Minister of Export Promotion and International Trade.

Ratnasiri Wickremanayake retains his post of Prime Minister in the reshuffle. Rohitha Bogollagama has been appointed new Foreign Minister. Anura Priyadharshana Yapa will continue as Minister of Mass Media and Information.

UNP parliamentarians took oaths as cabinet ministers, non-cabinet rank ministers and project ministers in the presence of President Rajapaksa. Other UNP members who were appointed as ministers are, P.Dayaratna - Planning Implementation, Dharmadasa Banda - Additional Plantation Crops, M.H. Mohamed - Parliamentary Affairs, Gamini Lokuge – Sports, Bandula Gunawardana - Trade, Marketing development and Consumer Affairs, Mahinda Wijesekara - Special projects and Rajitha Senaratna - Construction and Engineering Services SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem took oaths as Minister of Posts and Telecommunication