22 July 2022 08:53 am
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena will take oaths as the Prime Minister today morning along with the previous cabinet of ministers, a senior SLPP source told Daily Mirror last night.
Gunawardena will be sworn in as the Prime Minister before President Ranil Wickremesinghe following many discussions within the SLPP party yesterday.
Sources said that while time was short, the previous cabinet of ministers who functioned under Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe will be sworn in today after the Prime Minister takes oaths, in order to restart the stalled work but once Parliament convenes on July 27th, discussions on a national government will take place.
Once political parties agree to join a national government, the cabinet will be reshuffled and a new cabinet of ministers will take oaths, sources said.
"Right now there are a lot of papers that need to be submitted to cabinet and the ministries have just stopped functioning. So the previous government will take oaths today and restart their work," senior sources said.
Following the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as the President, his national list seat in Parliament has fallen vacant and discussions are now ongoing within the UNP camp as to who will be appointed to fill the vacant seat.
The names shortlisted as of yesterday was Ruwan Wijewardena, Sagala Ratnayaka, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam or Vajira Abeywardena. (JAMILA HUSAIN)