UNP Parliamentarian and former Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema will not take up a position in the new Cabinet, UNP sources confirmed. 

Samarawickrema had opted out of the new Cabinet to allow young MPs to take up more responsibilities, they added. 

Samarawickrema is considered to a close ally of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and a former Chairman of the UNP. 

Meanwhile, TPA Leader Mano Ganesan tweeted that he and ACMC Leader Rishard Bathiudeen volunteered to sacrifice their Cabinet posts at the UNF parliamentary group meeting this morning. 

Gansan said they offered to remain parliamentarians in a bid to support Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's efforts to restrict the Cabinet to 30. 

The UNP has already sent a list of 30 Cabinet ministers to President Maithripala Sirisena.