AMN / COLOMBO
28 cabinet ministers were sworn in Sri Lanka on Thursday. President Maithripala Sirisena administered oath of office to the ministers.
The swearing in comes after leader of United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremsinghe took over as Prime minister on Sunday. Most of the ministers who were there in Wickremsinghe government before October 26 have retained their portfolios.
Mr. Thilak Marapana is the foreign minister while Mr. Mangala Samarweera retained the finance portfolio. Mr. Wickremsinghe has kept with himself the portfolio of national policies, economic affairs, resettlement and rehabilitation and northern development.
President chose to keep law and order portfolio with himself. The ministers were sworn in individually in President’s office and media was not allowed in.
Earlier, UNP has forwarded a list of 36 members to the President but President has removed several names from the list keeping the cabinet size to 30 including himself and Prime minister.
The President heads the cabinet and holds the Defense, Mahaweli Development and Environment portfolios. Mr. Sirisena rejected the MPs who crossed over to the UNP and some others who were critical of him.