UPDATE: Nine Cabinet Ministers take up new portfolios

President Maithripala Sirisena carried out a Cabinet reshuffle with nine Cabinet Ministers and a State Minister been sworn into their new portfolios this morning. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was also present at the swearing in.

Former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera was appointed as the new Minister of Finance and Mass Media with Minister Ravi Karunanayake taking over the Foreign Ministry.

The Following is the list of Ministers who were sworn in their new portfolios:

Cabinet Ministers:

Mangala Samaraweera – Minister of Finance and Mass Media

S.B. Disanayake – Minister of Social Empowerment, Welfare and Kandyan Heritage

W.D.J. Seneviratne – Minister of Labour, Trade Union Relations and Sabaragamuwa Development

Ravi Karunanayake – Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mahinda Samarasinghe – Minister of Ports and Shipping

Gayantha Karunathilake – Minister of Land and Parliamentary Reforms

Arjuna Ranatunga – Minister of Petroleum Resources Development

Chandima Weerakkody – Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training

Thilak Marapana – Minister of Development Assignments

State Minister:

Mahinda Amaraweera – State Minister of Mahaweli Development (including the existing portfolio of Fisheries)

The long-awaited and widely reported Cabinet reshuffle is expected to take place this morning while last night was filled with frantic lobbying as well as eleventh-hour discussions over the move. 

President Maithripala Sirisena, who is emphatic on a reshuffle, was rumoured to have met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last evening for a final discussion but this was denied while UNP ministers did meet their leader in the night at Temple Trees. 

All Ministers, Deputy Ministers and State Ministers have been requested to be present today at 8.30 a.m. at the Presidential Secretariat where Sirisena is expected to make a key statement. 

Some political analysts said there will be far-reaching changes in the Cabinet while others claimed only a few will be changed.

The most talked about change is that relating to the Finance and Foreign Ministry portfolios with Mangala Samaraweera taking over the former and Ravi Karunanayake the latter. Samaraweera will also have the additional portfolio of Media Minister. 

Karunanayake, who was credited with playing a key role in the regime change in 2015, is reported to have refused to accept the Foreign Minister portfolio. He was said to have lined up several other UNPers to back him. 

Since Karunanayake is the only high-profile Minister to be changed, some UNPers are ganging up calling for reshuffle in portfolios of a few other prominent UNP ministers too. This, as well as the timing of the reshuffle, was among the reasons for a late-night crisis meeting at Temple Trees on the request of UNP ministers. 

Daily FT learns that during the UNP meeting it was agreed that there would be no boycott.

If speculation of Samaraweera being Finance Minister and ex-banker and MP Eran Wickramaratne serving as his Deputy is right, analysts said it will give a boost to investor and business confidence.  

They claimed that Karunanayake, although a livewire in the post-2015 administration, has been subject to large-scale allegations of financial irregularities which he has repeatedly denied. 

Nearly two years after the new Government took office, there has been discontent from within and outside that the delivery of meaningful change has been below par whilst others maintained that that such a slow course was expected from an “unholy” marriage between archrivals the UNP and SLPF after forming a Coalition Government. 

Is Ravi K the only bad egg?

Ahead of today’s Cabinet reshuffle, with Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake being the most talked about change, insiders are asking whether he is the only bad egg in the current administration. 

They claimed that there are several including very high-profile ministers who are much closer to Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe who equally deserve to be changed given their contribution to the negative perception of the Government since being voted into office two years ago. 

However many believe Karunanayake will be among the most prominent fall guys.

At the time of this edition going to print, it was speculated that Karunanayake had refused to accept the Foreign Ministry portfolio, whose deputy at present is Dr. Harsha de Silva.