Two new Ministers

Two National Freedom Front Parliamentarians Nandana Gunatillake and Piyasiri Wijenayake were sworn in as Ministers last week. Gunatillake is now the Cabinet Minister of Tourism and Wijenayake the non-Cabinet Minister of Cultural Affairs.


The NFF led by Wimal Weerawansa, given the choice to pick one Cabinet Ministerial portfolio asked for either Rural Industrial Development, Irrigation and Agrarian Services or Tourism. When certain Ministers declined to give up their portfolios to accommodate the two new colleagues, President Rajapaksa had contacted Minister Milinda Moragoda.


Moragoda had not only expressed his willingness to give up the Ministry he was holding, but also informed the President that he was prepared to function as a backbencher. When Milinda told the President that he was busy these days with organisational work in his electorate, the President had reportedly said,” Aren’t you at a disadvantage when you have to do organisational work without a Ministerial portfolio? I wish to offer you the Justice Ministry.”


Thus Milinda succeeded the late Amarasiri Dodangoda as the Minister of Justice and Legal reforms. Later some sections of the local media described this switch over of portfolios as a demotion to Milinda. The President who saw the media reports asked Media spokesman Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena to correct this piece of misinformation.


Accordingly Lakshman Yapa at the last week’s Cabinet Press briefing made it a point to set the record straight. “Justice is among the five most vital Cabinet portfolios. The President is keen on bringing about some important reforms in the system of Administration of Justice in the country in the post-war scenario. The proposed reforms had to be held back for time due to Minister Dodangoda being sick. The President wanted Milinda to expedite the process,“ Minister Abeywardena explained.