New cabinet to be sworn in on Wednesday, in Kandy

A new 26 member cabinet will be sworn in, in Kandy at the Old King's Court on Wednesday, in the presence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Daily Mirror learns.

While the SLPP won 145 seats in Parliament, the cabinet will be limited to 26 ministers only, keeping in line with the 19th amendment which allows no more than 30 ministers to be sworn in.

While a desperate appeal has begun among the MPs for ministries, some of the key figures that will receive cabinet portfolios are former president Maithripala Sirisena who is tipped to receive Mahaweli and Cultural Affairs, the Prime Minister retaining the Defence and Finance portfolios, Chamal Rajapaksa who is likely to receive Agriculture while Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will be appointed as the new Speaker of Parliament.

Discussions are ongoing whether to hand over the sports ministry portfolio to Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Dilum Amunugama or Dayasiri Jayasekara. Both Dayasiri and Mahindananda have held this portfolio in previous administrations.

Namal Rajapaksa is also likely to receive a portfolio but it is yet to be finalised.

Discussions will be held in the coming days to finalise the cabinet.

Initially, till last evening, Friday was selected as the date for the swearing in of the new cabinet senior authoritative sources said, however the swearing in ceremony had been brought forward to Wednesday. (JAMILA HUSAIN)