Pivithuru Hela Urumaya General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila said that Speaker Karu Jayasuriya was not wrong in electing TNA leader R. Sampanthan as the Opposition Leader.

Speaking to Asian Mirror, he said that the UPFA General Secretary Prof. Vishwa Warnapala, had sent a letter to the Speaker informing him that the UPFA does not wish to make a request for the Opposition Leader position.

Gammanpila said that the Speaker showed the letter to the MPs who had protested at the decision, informing them that he had acted upon the letter.

He added that the Speaker should have told the Parliament that he had received such a letter.

Gammanpila said that the letter had been sent without informing the MPs who had handed over a letter to President Sirisena, asking him to name Kumara Welgama as the Opposition Leader. It is those who sent the letter to the Speaker that should be blamed for what happened, Gammanpila insisted.

Fifty five UPFA MPs signed a letter requesting the naming of Welgama as the Opposition Leader. It was handed over to the President on September 1.

President Maithripala Sirisena said that a new committee was established to appoint Heads and Director Boards of government corporations and boards.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of 42 Cabinet Ministers, the President said that this step was taken following discussions he had with the Prime Minister.

Sirisena added that the Ministers will not be able to appoint Chairpersons and Director Boards to such institutions directly. However, the Ministers are able to submit their suggestions to the committee, the President said.

He pointed out that this step was taken to ensure better quality and standard in the persons appointed to such positions.

The following 42 MPs took oaths as Cabinet Ministers today at the Presidential Secretariat.

In addition, Mangala Samaraweera had been sworn-in as Minister of Foreign Affairs earlier. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and DM Swaminathan had also taken oaths in different capacities earlier.

Accordingly, there are 43 Cabinet Ministers including the Prime Minister.

01. Minister of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs– Ranil Wickremesinghe

02. Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Affairs – John Amaratunga

03. Minister of Sustainable Development and Wild Life – Gamini Jayawickrama Perera

04. Minister of Transport – Nimal Siripala de Silva

05. Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare – SB Dissanayake

06. Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations – WDJ Seneviratne

07. Minister of University Education and Highways – Lakshman Kiriella

08. Minister of Disaster Management – Anura Priyadarshana Yapa

09. Minister of Technology, Technical Education and Employment – Susil Premajayantha

10. Minister of Law and Order and Prisons Reform – Tilak Janaka Marapana

11. Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine – Rajitha Senaratne

12. Minister of Finance – Ravi Karunanayake

13. Minister of Professional Development and Vocational Training – Mahinda Samarasinghe

14. Minister of Home Affairs – Vajira Abeywardena

15. Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs – SB Nawinne

16. Minister of Mega-polis and Western Development – Patali Champika Ranawaka

17. Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – Mahinda Amaraweera

18. Minister of Plantations – Navin Dissanayake

19. Minister of Power and Renewable Energy – Ranjith Siyambalapitiya

20. Minister of Agriculture – Duminda Dissanayake

21. Minister of Buddha Sasana – Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe

22. Minister of Rural Economy – P. Harrison

23. Minister of Public Administration and Management – Ranjith Maddumabandara

24. Minister of Parliamentary Reform and Mass Media – Gayantha Karunathilaka

25. Minister of Housing and Construction – Sajith Premadasa

26. Minister of Ports and Shipping – Arjuna Ranatunga

27. Minister of Lands – MKDS Gunawardena

28. Minister of Upcountry Village Development - Palani Digambaram

29. Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs – Chandrani Bandara

30. Minister of Foreign Employment – Thalatha Athukorala

31. Minister of Education – Akila Viraj Kariyawasam

32. Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs – DM Swaminathan

33. Minister of Petroleum and Petroleum Gas  - Chandima Weerakkody

34. Minister of Sports – Dayasiri Jayasekara

35. Minister of Southern Development – Sagala Rathnayake

36. Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure – Harin Fernando

37. Minister of National Dialogue – Mano Ganesan

38. Minister of Primary Industries – Daya Gamage

39. Minister of Town Planning and Water Resources – Rauff Hakeem

40. Minister of Industry and Commerce – Rishad Bathiudeen

41. Minister of Public Enterprise Development – Kabir Hashim

42. Minister of Postal Service & Muslim Affairs - Mohamed Hashim Abdul Haleem

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party celebrates its 64th anniversary today.

The anniversary celebration will be held at the Rajarata Navodya Grounds at Kaduruwela, Polonnaruwa, under the patronage of SLFP Chairman, President Maithripala Sirisena.

The SLFP was founded on September 2, 1951, by SWRD Bandaranaike, who left the UNP government to sit in the opposition. SLFP entered electoral politics the following year, winning 9 seats in parliament. Four years later it was the main constituent of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna alliance which swept into power.

Following the assassination of Prime Minister Bandaranaike in September 1959, the SLFP passed an uncertain period. It ended when the widow of the slain Prime Minister led the party to victory in the July 1960 election. Sirimavo R.D. Bandaranaike became the first female Prime Minister of the world.

The SLFP governed the country until 1965 and once again as part of the United Front from 1970 to 1977. Following the phenomenal victory of the UNP in the 1977 General Election, the SLFP once again entered a period of factionalism. It ended with the formation of the People's Alliance, a five member alliance of center-left parties, in 1993.

Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was elected Executive President of Sri Lanka in 1994. The SLFP has held the executive presidency ever since her election.

The new Cabinet of Ministers will be sworn-in on Friday at 11am, political reports said.

The Cabinet is expected to have 45 members, out of which the UNP is expected to receive 33 ministerial portfolios. The SLFP will receive 12 ministries.

Meanwhile, discussions are still underway on the State and Deputy Ministerial portfolios.

However, the parliament has to give its approval to the size of the Cabinet since it is a case of forming a national government. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution restricted the number of Cabinet Ministries to 30. However, the parliament can decide on a number of ministries if a national government is being formed.

A letter was handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena urging him to name Kumara Welgama as the opposition leader, UPFA MP Ranjith Soysa told Asian Mirror.

He said that the letter was signed by 55 MPs including Chamal Rajapaksa, Udaya Gammanpila and Dallas Alahapperuma. The signature of UPFA MP Dinesh Gunawardena could not be obtained but he also supports it, Soyza said.

The MPs who signed the letter also urged the President to name Mahindananda Aluthgamage as the Chief Opposition Whip of the parliament.

UPFA MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva Nanayakkara and Ranjith Soyza visited the President at 4.45pm at his residence and handed over the letter.

Copies of the letter will be handed over to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and UPFA General Secretary Prof. Vishwa Warnapala, Soyza also said.

President Maithripala Sirisena stressed that his government will focus on the protection of the environment while striving for economic development.

Making a special statement on his government's policy, Sirisena said that the world has moved towards concepts such as knowledge based economy, sustainable development and green economy. His government will focus on such novel concepts, the President said.

Interestingly, the President made these observations amidst an ongoing controversy regarding an oil leak to the Kelani River from the Coca-Cola plant in Biyagama.

It is widely believed that the President will retain the cabinet ministerial portfolio of Environment.

Sri Lanka’s new government has further delayed formation of the Cabinet beyond the already agreed deadline of September 2.

The election was held nearly two weeks ago in which the United National Party (UNP) failed to win the absolute majority of 113 seats in 225-member assembly.

The UNP and the Opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party decided to form a national unity government following which there were serious negotiations and disagreements over the sharing of key portfolios.

Duminda Disssanayake, the SLFP acting general secretary, said the new Cabinet was most likely to be inducted on September 4. He said the SLFP’s 64th convention would be held on September 2 in Polonnaruwa and said they had invited all party officials, including President Maithripala Sirisena who is the party chairman, to attend the event.

Sirisena pledged to form a national government with his members providing the majority for the national unity government will be in office for a minimum period of two years. However, some members of the SLFP who are followers of the former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa have announced that they would not join the national government but would work as the main Opposition.

President Sirisena has allowed the MPs to act according to their wishes. Sirisena on Monday appointed three members of the Cabinet, including the foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera. They were appointed to host a visit by a group of top US state department officials.

(PTI)