The so-called national government will have at least 93 ministers which may expand further as time goes on, UNP sources said.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a letter to the Secretary General of the Parliament has sought approval to accommodate 48 cabinet ministers and 45 state and deputy ministers..
Meanwhile the tussle between the UNP and SLFP in sharing the ministerial portfolios has not ended yet.
A UNP parliamentarian said that the SLFP was negotiating for some powerful ministerial portfolios including the media ministry which the UNP is reluctant to gift.
The UNP MP however said that the swearing-in of the cabinet ministers of the new national government which was postponed several times would finally happen on Thursday and Friday.
Reacting to the government’s decision to name a jumbo cabinet, the Chairman of the National Movement for Social Justice Maduluwavwe Sobhitha Thero who galvanized the civil society movement to bring down the Rajapaksa regime said that this was not what the people expected.
The thero said that the ruler should be ashamed of themselves for appointing such a large cabinet while wasting precious public money.
The Thero said it would have been more feasible to have a UNP-led government rather than a so-called national government and predicted that the coalition will have a rough sailing in the days to come.
Sobitha Thero went on to say that the term national government cannot be used as the government does not have the support of all political parties in parliament.
Under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution the number of Cabinet Ministers is limited to 30 with the exception of a national government in which case the number of Ministers should be decided by the Parliament. The total number of non-Cabinet and Deputy Ministers is also restricted to 40 but the number can be expanded with the parliamentary approval.
Out of the 48 ministerial portfolios the UNP will have 28 while the SLFP will have 17 with the other 3 going to smaller parties, according to sources.
President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will also hold cabinet portfolios.
Raizuh Langai / September 3, 2015
Lankans will further distrust the mainstream politicians. This will enhance the chances of communal elements. Don’t take comfort that these divisive elements got a small vote.
The mainstream politicians are giving the voter clear signals. That is “we are not here to make Good Governance. ITs positions and money”.
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Amarasiri / September 3, 2015
RE: So-Called National Government To Appoint Around 100 Ministers
Interesting.
“The so-called national government will have at least 93 ministers which may expand further as time goes on, UNP sources said.”
50% of the Elected MPs end up being Ministers, but do they work?
Do they check their education level or IQ before they appoint them Ministers?
Can they do Math better than Wimal Modawansa of 2/2 =0 fame?
May be this is truly a national Govt., truly representing the Modayas, Mootals and fools.
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Ben Hurling / September 3, 2015
“SLFP was negotiating for some powerful ministerial portfolios including the media ministry which the UNP is reluctant to gift.”
And you expected total media freedom? Plus higher qualitative and ethical standards in media? After all this is the era of “good governance”.
Why do you think these greedy monkeys, from these two corrupt parties, are battling so hard exactly for the media ministry?
The concept of a media ministry itself is a pretty outdated idea. Existing only in 3rd world, rotten states such as ours.
Media can easily be enclosed in something like a cultural affairs minsitry. If we have any culture left that is. Sports should also be a part of cultural affairs obviously.
Rather than providing 100 monkeys with exclusive 4WD vehicles, perks etc. at the expense of impoverished tax-payers.
Cheers!
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Native Vedda / September 3, 2015
Ben Hurling
Is it a National government of MR’s government?
As I wrote horse trading started on the eve of elections, finally ended up with 100 ministers.
Most functions of these 100 ministries can and should be transferred to all nine provinces which would make every actions of local politicians accountable to local people.
These 100 donkeys as you call them are interested only in empire building and expanding their corrupt influence within their ministries than serving the people, including resource allocation (mostly to their cronies), employment, …… you know what it means.
More power to people not more politicians holding the country to ransom.
Keep hope alive.
Do you think Ranil read CT especially the comments? If not make it compulsory for him and his 224 MPs to read CT comments first thing in the morning.
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BBS Rep / September 3, 2015
Yahapalanaya has gone mad, absolutely mad.
Minister equates to corruption. Period. You can equate a Minister to anything else in the world but in Sri Lanka a Minister or Ministry is synonimous with corruption.
We took so much pains to oust Ali Baba and his hundreds of theives now we have even more sanctioned thieves with their snouts on the trough.
Yahapalanaya is unravelling and it is but a short time before it will turn into a Yakapalanaya.
What a polsambal shambles it is turning out to be with the old rogues of the SLFP given Ministerial jobs along with the new rogues of the UNP.
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Robert.R / September 3, 2015
Where are the good governance advocates?
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NIRMALA N / September 4, 2015
Put the question to me I will tell you.
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Amarasiri / September 3, 2015
RE: “So-Called National Government To Appoint Around 100 Ministers”
Looks like Mr. Maitripala Sirisena and Mr. Ranil Wickramasingha do not want to be second to Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.
In the next Election they both can claim, we DOUBLED Mahinda Rakjapaksa ministers! Thai is 100% Growth!
Why does it take twice as many Ministers to do the SAME JOB?
Is the IQ of the Sri Lankan Ministers dropping?
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Shamil / September 3, 2015
Give 225 MPs ministrial posts. Consider speaker is given a ministry. Speaker also should be in National gov. LOL
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Don Stanley / September 3, 2015
A fundamental rights case should be filed by the civil society movement for good governance against a cabinet of 100. It is a patent violation of good governance, will make for policy incoherence and fragmentation with so many Ministers messing around with institutions and a general log jam in the country’s development process.
This is a total joke played by the so called leaders of the so called Sinhala national governemtn – Sirisena and Wickramasinghe who do not know the meaning of the word leadership it seems.
Leaders persuade followers to do the right thing. Not bribe them to do the right thing. The political parties and the politicians are rotting Sri Lanka and perpetuating a corrupt political culture from the top down for all the world to see!
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K.A Sumanasekera / September 3, 2015
UNP Monk, Venerable Medulwewa Sobitha is really pissed off by Batalanada Ranil’s meekness, since the Election.
What has Sira done to him,
Is it Mahendran, Is it Galleon or is it Bloemendhall?..
The above are really not the best role models for Yahapalanaya , which is supposed to be a Government without Nepotism, Corruption,Underworld and Amphetamines …
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Sapumal / September 3, 2015
SLFP never want to develop the country. They just want to have the power and posts. Perks and benefits on public expense. I am saying this with a great responsibility. Because they never had any statesmen like politicians Only one was Late Mr. Kadiragamar.( But he was not SLFP, but national list MP)It is very clear with our present president and his political behaviour.( But he has much qualities than others.) What I want to say is, this jumbo cabinet has nothing to do with people and anything for their welfare. It’s sole purpose is to satisfy these cheap low quality politicians. This is not the way to “Change “. If you want to do the change with bribing as many as you can, we don’t need such a change at all. Nelson Mandela or Ghandi never use bribes to change the society. Lincoln or Lula De Silva of brasil never use bribes to change the society. Never use bribes to uplift their peoples lives. Shame…I can see the direction…now. I keep quiet.
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Lucky J Gnana / September 3, 2015
Why not give Ministerial Portfolios to ALL MPs. They all can be given Mercs, Beemers, Monteros, etc. One condition – Let them allow the innocent civilians to live in peace.
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Ajith / September 3, 2015
Good governance is now surrendered or accomodated to bad governance. Are there going to be any gains to public wefare, solutions to the lasting ethnic problem?
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Barus / September 3, 2015
MR is happy now that the ruling cabal of Sri Lanka is following his footsteps. Probably, MR is the Senior Adviser to this gang of robbers, teaching them the tricks of the trade as these GREEN jokers had been away from the cash kitty for too long.
What a shameful livelihood for these politicos. Sucking the blood of the innocent citizens day in and day out.
Hope, a natural calamity hits the Parliament and puts and end to the entire lot in one stroke. Oh God! save the folks of Sri Lanka from these leaches.
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Douglas / September 3, 2015
Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse- the ex President must be laughing and rolling on the floor of Madmulana. Also he must be blaming himself for that stupid behavior of hanging on to a window and weeping immediately after January 8th election without waiting for this HILARIOUS occasion of creating 100 Cabinet Minsters. He can now PROUDLY say, “I showed it and did it. Now you have followed me. Thank you for taking me as an EXAMPLE”.
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bo / September 3, 2015
Repeat of the same old story. Now power in their hands, who cares. Make hay while the sun shines. Sri Lanka has started its downward slope again.
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thrishu / September 3, 2015
For F-sake get things under control, stop and cut down the waste. Get rid of all these useless Ministers, and supervising minsters etc etc. Time to reduce not to increase!
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HolmungPee / September 4, 2015
Absolutely Disillusional stuff!
It’s almost as if the UNP has taken everyone for a ride together with this maithripala who was on an EGO trip…
Apart from the ‘change’ which we all needed, we also voted for transparency and apparent good-governance! And bringing in morons who were rejected by the people, through the back-door and/or the requirement for a Jumbo cabinet- in the name of a ‘national govt’ is NOT the good-governance we voted and worked for!
Can Sri Lankan politics stoop much lower than this?!
Jack
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Jack the Ripper / September 5, 2015
“The MIRACLE of Asia”
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