Adding 17 more Ministers to the new Cabinet of Ministers, the President yesterday (18) appointed new Ministers for several crucial Ministerial portfolios including Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Fisheries; Education and Plantation Industries; Public Security and Tourism; Transport and Industries; Highways; Labour; Agriculture and Irrigation; Wildlife and Forest Conservation; Energy and Power; Youth Affairs and Sports; Mass Media; Health; Environment; Trade and Samurdhi Development; Water Supply Minister; and Ports and Shipping.
Even though there are several unexpected changes, there is very little to be happy about when it comes to the composition of the new Cabinet, in a context where there is a necessity for a Cabinet of experts to salvage the situation in the country.
At a time when the country is in need of out-of-the-box thinking and immediate solutions, the people are doubtful as to how much novelty the country would see in the foreseeable future with a new Cabinet composed largely of politicians who have already been running the country for years, if not decades. In fact, the resignation of some of these Ministers, such as Prasanna Ranatunga, Wimalaweera Dissanayake, and Vidura Wickramanayake, was demanded by the people when they served as Ministers of the recently dissolved Cabinet and State Ministers.
In addition, Ministerial portfolios given to certain members of the new Cabinet raise concerns about the suitability of those Ministers for their respective portfolios. For example, Kanchana Wijesekara’s appointment as Energy and Power Minister, and Janaka Wakkumbura’s appointment as Agriculture and Irrigation Minister are concerning.
It is because they have not proven to be qualified or experienced enough to save the said sectors, which are collapsing rapidly and are directly connected to the prevailing crisis. In due course, they may prove how capable they are in fulfilling their responsibilities in their new positions. However, this is not a time to experiment, or for risky bets, because there is a severe crisis in the energy and power sectors, and an ever growing food and medicine shortage.
However, there are several understandable appointments as well. For example, the replacement of Dr. Sarath Weerasekera, who served as Public Security Minister in the previous Cabinet, is a good move, particularly due to the public displeasure his conduct attracted. However, the suitability of his successor Ranatunga, who also remains the Tourism Minister in the new Cabinet, is questionable, because we do not know how competent he is in ensuring public security, which is an increasingly important sector at present due to public unrest that keeps growing.
Prof. Channa Jayasumana being appointed Health Minister is acceptable – even despite his dubious claims about Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen in 2019 – considering Prof. Jayasumana’s qualifications in the field of medicine and due to him being the State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals. What is more, not giving Ministerial portfolios to a number of senior politicians within the Government – regardless of whether they turned down such positions, or because the President omitted them realising those members have been rejected by the public – is a good signal.
However, the President seems to be placing high hopes in these new appointments. Yesterday, he stated that the new members of the Cabinet have received a fine opportunity to make the systemic change that the people are demanding, and requested the new Ministers to refrain from enjoying any additional privileges, as a Ministerial portfolio is a huge responsibility, not a privilege.
The President’s statement implies that he is trying to achieve the much-demanded and long-awaited systemic change through a mere Cabinet reshuffle, instead of paying attention to what the people are demanding – namely, the resignations of both himself and his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
It is too early to determine how the members of the new Cabinet, who have previously shown conventional and narrow-minded attitudes, and have been rejected by people in various contexts, are going to engineer that change. However, it does not look promising. If the President is hoping that the protests will dissipate by seeing old faces in new positions, that will prove to be a long shot.
The real change the people demand includes – in addition to the resignation of the President and the Prime Minister – bringing in a new system led by experts, a concept which seems to have been completely overlooked. Even though how likely it is and successful it will be in Sri Lanka’s existing political culture is questionable, the President is not too late.
As per the Constitution, the number of Cabinet Ministers should not exceed 30, and assuming that the Government wants to utilise the full capacity of this limit, Sri Lanka will soon see the appointment of around nine more Cabinet Ministers. The President can still appoint suitable experts to the Cabinet – especially economists, agriculture sector experts, and power and energy sector experts – to salvage the country’s economy.
It is such experts who should be chosen for MP posts (through the national lists), not politicians’ that people have rejected repeatedly. At the very least, the President can appoint teams or committees of experts and assign them to Ministries such as the Agriculture Ministry that require more attention in the current context.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Sri Lanka does not have a future unless it puts the expertise of qualified professionals to good use.
Social media feedback about the new Cabinet, published both when the first four members were appointed two weeks ago, and when the 17 new members were appointed yesterday, demonstrate the people’s strong displeasure over the “new” Cabinet. In that context, at the risk of sounding cynical, we do not believe that this is the Cabinet that can or will take this Government or the President through to the end of their tenure.
At least now – at a time when the country’s economy is hanging by a thread and the people’s patience is running out – the Government should pay attention to the scientific appointment of Ministers, as it promised more than two years ago.Old wine in a new Cabinet
18 Apr 2022
Old wine in a new Cabinet
18 Apr 2022
Adding 17 more Ministers to the new Cabinet of Ministers, the President yesterday (18) appointed new Ministers for several crucial Ministerial portfolios including Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government; Fisheries; Education and Plantation Industries; Public Security and Tourism; Transport and Industries; Highways; Labour; Agriculture and Irrigation; Wildlife and Forest Conservation; Energy and Power; Youth Affairs and Sports; Mass Media; Health; Environment; Trade and Samurdhi Development; Water Supply Minister; and Ports and Shipping.
Even though there are several unexpected changes, there is very little to be happy about when it comes to the composition of the new Cabinet, in a context where there is a necessity for a Cabinet of experts to salvage the situation in the country.
At a time when the country is in need of out-of-the-box thinking and immediate solutions, the people are doubtful as to how much novelty the country would see in the foreseeable future with a new Cabinet composed largely of politicians who have already been running the country for years, if not decades. In fact, the resignation of some of these Ministers, such as Prasanna Ranatunga, Wimalaweera Dissanayake, and Vidura Wickramanayake, was demanded by the people when they served as Ministers of the recently dissolved Cabinet and State Ministers.
In addition, Ministerial portfolios given to certain members of the new Cabinet raise concerns about the suitability of those Ministers for their respective portfolios. For example, Kanchana Wijesekara’s appointment as Energy and Power Minister, and Janaka Wakkumbura’s appointment as Agriculture and Irrigation Minister are concerning.
It is because they have not proven to be qualified or experienced enough to save the said sectors, which are collapsing rapidly and are directly connected to the prevailing crisis. In due course, they may prove how capable they are in fulfilling their responsibilities in their new positions. However, this is not a time to experiment, or for risky bets, because there is a severe crisis in the energy and power sectors, and an ever growing food and medicine shortage.
However, there are several understandable appointments as well. For example, the replacement of Dr. Sarath Weerasekera, who served as Public Security Minister in the previous Cabinet, is a good move, particularly due to the public displeasure his conduct attracted. However, the suitability of his successor Ranatunga, who also remains the Tourism Minister in the new Cabinet, is questionable, because we do not know how competent he is in ensuring public security, which is an increasingly important sector at present due to public unrest that keeps growing.
Prof. Channa Jayasumana being appointed Health Minister is acceptable – even despite his dubious claims about Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen in 2019 – considering Prof. Jayasumana’s qualifications in the field of medicine and due to him being the State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals. What is more, not giving Ministerial portfolios to a number of senior politicians within the Government – regardless of whether they turned down such positions, or because the President omitted them realising those members have been rejected by the public – is a good signal.
However, the President seems to be placing high hopes in these new appointments. Yesterday, he stated that the new members of the Cabinet have received a fine opportunity to make the systemic change that the people are demanding, and requested the new Ministers to refrain from enjoying any additional privileges, as a Ministerial portfolio is a huge responsibility, not a privilege.
The President’s statement implies that he is trying to achieve the much-demanded and long-awaited systemic change through a mere Cabinet reshuffle, instead of paying attention to what the people are demanding – namely, the resignations of both himself and his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
It is too early to determine how the members of the new Cabinet, who have previously shown conventional and narrow-minded attitudes, and have been rejected by people in various contexts, are going to engineer that change. However, it does not look promising. If the President is hoping that the protests will dissipate by seeing old faces in new positions, that will prove to be a long shot.
The real change the people demand includes – in addition to the resignation of the President and the Prime Minister – bringing in a new system led by experts, a concept which seems to have been completely overlooked. Even though how likely it is and successful it will be in Sri Lanka’s existing political culture is questionable, the President is not too late.
As per the Constitution, the number of Cabinet Ministers should not exceed 30, and assuming that the Government wants to utilise the full capacity of this limit, Sri Lanka will soon see the appointment of around nine more Cabinet Ministers. The President can still appoint suitable experts to the Cabinet – especially economists, agriculture sector experts, and power and energy sector experts – to salvage the country’s economy.
It is such experts who should be chosen for MP posts (through the national lists), not politicians’ that people have rejected repeatedly. At the very least, the President can appoint teams or committees of experts and assign them to Ministries such as the Agriculture Ministry that require more attention in the current context.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Sri Lanka does not have a future unless it puts the expertise of qualified professionals to good use.
Social media feedback about the new Cabinet, published both when the first four members were appointed two weeks ago, and when the 17 new members were appointed yesterday, demonstrate the people’s strong displeasure over the “new” Cabinet. In that context, at the risk of sounding cynical, we do not believe that this is the Cabinet that can or will take this Government or the President through to the end of their tenure.
At least now – at a time when the country’s economy is hanging by a thread and the people’s patience is running out – the Government should pay attention to the scientific appointment of Ministers, as it promised more than two years ago.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!