After war a new Cabinet for new era!  

"It is not an easy task allocating ministries, but I hope you will all help in the economic development of the country and shoulder collective responsibility," the president told his new cabinet in a televised ceremony.

After defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a war the first cabinet of 38 cabinet ministers and 39 deputy ministers also took oaths at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, after the UPFA won a near two-thirds majority in the general elections. 

All 37 members of the cabinet were sworn-in by Rajapaksa at a ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat here, an official release said. 
 
This cabinet is much smaller than the previous one which was criticized as being too large. The previous Cabinet comprised 51 ministers, 39 non- Cabinet Ministers and 19 deputy ministers. 

President Mahinda Rajapaksa keep the main “Defence, Finance & Planning, Ports & Aviation and Highways” with him.

While the cabinet has several old faces, President Rajapaksa`s younger brother Basil Rajapaksa, the powerful senior Presidential Adviser, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election campaign manager for long is among the noted new comers has been sworn in as the newly established “Economic Development Minister”, entrusted with turning the island into "Asia's new miracle." 

Official sources said the new portfolio, which is alone in having three deputy ministers, carried specific responsibility for reviving the Tamil heartland in the North-East, ravaged by decades of conflict with LTTE.

 UPFA has won 12 seats from Gampaha district, and Mr. Basil Rajapaksa has polled the highest preferences in the country. Mr. Basil Rajapaksa has scored more than 425000 votes.  

The President's other two brothers are also in politics. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is the influential “Defence Secretary”, a top civil service position… and played a crucial role in the final defeat of the LTTE by government forces a year ago. 

Chamal Rajapaksa is the new Speaker of Parliament.

As all expected the “Foreign affairs” portfolio went to Prof G. L. Peiris, who is the former Export Development and International Trade Minister. 

Prof G.L. Peiris who has been ambitious to become Foreign Minister for many years, particularly since the portfolio was held by the late Lakshman Kadirgamar. He did play some role interacting with the international community during the crisis over whether or not the GSP plus trade concessions should be extended to Sri Lanka. His diplomacy, which was at a junior level with officials and deputy foreign Ministers, failed.  

Earlier two government sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters former Export Development and International Trade Minister G L Peiris would be named foreign minister to replace Rohitha Bogollagama.  
 
Peiris, a lawyer and academic, has held a number of ministries including finance, justice and constitutional affairs, and led numerous delegations to multi-lateral lenders.  
 
Considered among Sri Lanka’s top intellectuals, he also has a connection to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Peiris was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University at the same time as her husband, former US President Bill Clinton. - Reuters 

Former Prime Minister Ratnasri Wickramanayake will be “Public Management and Reforms Minister”. 

Maithripala Sirisena has been appointed the “Health Minister”. 

Susil Premajayantha has been appointed the “Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Minister”.

 Controversial Member of Parliament Mervyn Silva who was well known for his anti media stunts including the forceful entry into the state owned Rupavahini was sworn as “Mass Media and Information Deputy Minister”? 

While taking oaths, the Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva was seen showing his arm to the President and explaining something which had happened to him and when he was about to sign his official document, the pen on the table failed to write and he had to use his own pen.  
 
Mervyn Silva has been well known for his many attacks against organizations such as Sirasa and the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation where he was taken hostage by the employees when he tried to assault senior staff members.  
 
Some of those who had condemned Mervyn Silva for this attack were then Minister of Media Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena 

Nirupama Rajapaksa got the portfolio of “Water Supply and Drainage”. 

In this new cabinet one Tamil who was not contested on his party EPDP has obtained the highest number of Preferential Votes 28,585 from the Jaffna district , out of 721,359 registered electors only 168,277 voted contested in UPFA seat in Jaffna and carried the Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry, Douglas Devananda originally a Tamil militant, he gave up violence and is currently the leader... Secretary General of the EPDP got portfolio of “Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise”. 

But Minister Douglas Devananda said earlier that he will resign from Parliament when elections are held to the Northern Provincial Council. 

And he said he had always wanted to take to regional politics and render some service to the people of the North. 

“I won’t hesitate to give up a Cabinet post and return to regional politics, when the occasion arises,” Devananda said. 

He said his priority would be to develop the infrastructural facilities in the North and improve the living conditions of the people who had suffered for decades because of terrorism. 

Two Muslim members selected to the new cabinet.  

Former Petroleum Minister AHM Fowzie who contested in Colombo district and who just about made it to the current parliament got the portfolio of “Disaster Management”. 

Former Minister A.L.M. Athaulla who won in the Digamadulla (Amparai) District obtaining the second highest preferential votes in the District among the UPFA candidates was accorded a warm reception by the people of Akkaraipattu, the home town of Athaullah got the portfolio of “Local Government and Provincial Councils”. 

Former LTTE chief Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman, from East got the portfolio of “Deputy Minister for Rehabilitation”. 

Muthu Sivalingam from Upcountry got the “Deputy Minister portfolio of Economic Development” 

Ceylon Worker’s Congress (CWC) Leader Arumugam Thondaman is likely to get a portfolio tomorrow after his name was not included in today’s list of ministers, sources close to the CWC Leader said. President Mahinda Rajapakse is currently discussing the matter with Thondaman. 
 
Sources said that Thondaman is likely to get a Ministry where he could do some service to the estate Tamils. “We wanted a ministry where we can work for our people,” sources said. 

All we need with Humanity! 

·     Alex Eravi