Twenty-one Cabinet Ministers were sworn in before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday morning (18) at the Presidential Secretariat, Colombo.
Deputy Ministers will be sworn in later.
Following Dissanayake’s victory in the 21 Sept. presidential election, he governed the country with a three-member Cabinet consisting of Harini Amarasuriya, Vijitha Herath and him.
The new Cabinet Ministers are as follows: Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya – Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education; Vijitha Herath – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism; Prof. Chandana Abeyrathna – Minister of State Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Harshana Nanayakkara – Minister of Justice and National Integration;
Saroja Savithri Paulraj – Minister of Women and Child Affairs; K.D. Lalkantha – Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation; Anura Karunathilake – Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing; Ramalingam Chandrasekar – Minister of Fisheries; Upali Pannilage – Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment; Sunil Hadunnetti – Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development; Ananda Wijepala – Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs; Bimal Rathnayake – Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation; Hiniduma Sunil Senevi – Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs; Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa – Minister of Health and Mass Media; Samantha Vidyarathna – Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure; Sunil Kumara Gamage – Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs; Wasantha Samarasinghe – Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development; Prof. Chrishantha Abeysena – Minister of Science and Technology; Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando – Minister of Labour; Kumara Jayakody – Minister of Energy and Dr. Dammika Patabendi – Minister of Environment.
Addressing the new Cabinet of Ministers, President Dissanayake said people have voted for the NPP twice, in September and November, to change the political and economic trajectory of Sri Lanka.
People had placed their trust in the NPP, based on their policies and the integrity of party members, however, from now on the people will judge the NPP, based on their performance as a government, he said.
He added that the new Cabinet comprises professionals who have unblemished records.
President Dissanayake said Sri Lankan people have voted for them across ethnic and religious divides and that they are committed to protecting and enhancing the rights of the people. (RK)
