• 12 out of 17 appointed first time Cabinet ministers
• Seniors including Rajapaksa loyalists Johnston, Mahindananda and Rohitha dropped from Cabinet
• Rajapaksa family who previously served in Cabinet also dropped
• PM stays away from swearing in but meets with new Cabinet ministers later 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday named 17 members to the cabinet, dropping most seniors and appointing younger members in an attempt to calm growing public anger over the worsening economic situation in the country.

12 out of the 17 appointees are first time cabinet ministers while seniors including Dinesh Gunawardena, Prasanna Ranatunga, Douglas Devananda and Ramesh Pathirana were reappointed as ministers.

Among those dropped from the Cabinet are three of the most vocal supporters of the government namely Johnson Fernando, Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Rohitha Abeygunawardena while members of the Rajapaksa familiar including Chamal Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa and Shasheendra Rajapaksa who previously held portfolios were also left out.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa did not attend yesterday’s swearing-in ceremony held at the President’s House in Colombo but later met with the new ministers at Temple Trees, his official residence.

The 17 ministers appointed yesterday are in addition  to Finance  Minister Ali Sabry and Minister Foreign Affairs G.l. Peiris who were appointed earlier this month following the en masse resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers on 7 April.

The 17 members appointed to the Cabinet yesterday are as follows:

1. Dinesh Gunawardena – Public Administration, Internal Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government

2. Douglas Devananda – Fisheries

3. Dr. Ramesh Pathirana – Education and Plantation Industries

4. Prasanna Ranatunga – Public Security and Tourism

5. Dilum Amunugama – Transport and Industries

6. Kanaka Herath – Highways

7. Vidura Wickramanayake – Labour

8. Janaka Wakkumbura – Agriculture and Irrigation

9. Shehan Semasinghe – Trade and Samurdhi Development

10. Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva – Water Supply

11. Wimalaweera Dissanayake – Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation

12. Kanchana Wijesekera – Power and Energy

13. Thenuka Vidanagamage -Sports and Youth Affairs

14. Dr. Nalaka Godahewa – Media

15. Professor Channa Jayasumana – Health

16. Naseer Ahamed – Environment

17. Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon – Ports and Shipping

Pavithra Wanniarachchi is tipped to be appointed as the Minister of Justice later this week.

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