Parliamentarian Weerakumara Dissanayake has been appointed the State Minister  of Mahaweli Development. 

Dissanayake, a member of the Joint Opposition, crossed over to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in the run up to the Local Government election. 

He was initially a member of the National Freedom Front, led by Wimal Weerawansa. 

Dissanayake is a new entrant into the group of MPs holding positions in the government.