President restricts Cabinet to 26; PM to be sworn in today

No immediate plans for National Government

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will swear-in a Cabinet of Ministers numbering 26 next Friday ( August 14) and not avail himself of a Constitutional provision that allows him to enlarge his Cabinet if he opts to go in for a National Government with parties outside the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) alliance.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution permits a Cabinet of 45 Ministers if there is a National Government. President Rajapaksa has decided that the SLPP will function as a single political entity despite the wide support from its partners.

The new Cabinet will be sworn in at a ceremony to be held at the Magul Maduwa or the Audience Hall of the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.

Today, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will be sworn-in from the precincts of the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya. All newly elected SLPP parliamentarians and those from the alliance partners such as the the SLFP, the NFF, the MEP, the PHU, the CP, the DLF, the LSSP and the CWC have been invited to take part in today's ceremony besides special invitees.

President Rajapaksa has also decided not to avail himself of the existing constitutional provisions that allow him to swear-in 45 ministers if it is a National Government.

With the swearing-in of a new Cabinet of Ministers, President Rajapaksa is also to name a larger team of State and Deputy Ministers. This is under a new concept where holders of such office will be given specific responsibilities and called upon to execute them. They will centre on several development projects, a government source said yesterday.

The total number of Deputy and State Ministers is not expected to exceed 40, the same source said. This is notwithstanding the Constitution providing for 45 deputies and non cabinet ministers if it is a National Government.

The SLPP-led alliance won 145 seats and now has a two-thirds majority with the support from the EPDP (2 seats), SLFP (1 seat), National Congress (1 seat) and Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (1 seat).