More Deputy Minister posts in the offing?

Speculations were rife yesterday that the UPFA government was to hand Deputy Minister posts to another dozen Parliamentarians in the next few days.

Many of the ‘lucky’ ones are believed to be from the constituent parties of the UPFA that represent the estate sector, the Daily Mirror learns. The tentative date for the oath-taking of Deputy Ministers will be October 31.

The names mentioned for the Deputy Minister posts are Nuwara-Eliya District Parliamentarian Palani Digambaram of the National Workers Congress, Nuwara-Eliya District Parliamentarian of the Upcountry Peoples Front, V. Radha Krishnan, Nuwara Eliya Parliamentarian of the Citizens’ Front J. Sri Ranga and Western People’s Front leader Prabha Ganesan, a source close to the government said. The source said the names of two MPs of the SLMC are also being considered for posts.

Meanwhile, a UPFA source told Daily Mirror that a number of UPFA Parliamentarians were disconcerted at having been ignored with regard to at least a Deputy Minister’s post, de- spite having served the party with dedication and having higher academic qualifications.

“Some of them for instance like, Gampaha District UPFA Parliamentarian, and the wife of late Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Dr. Sudharshini Fernandopulle are highly disciplined and professionally qualified members of the government though first entrants to Parliament. But Deputy Ministerial posts have been given to a number of first entrants with fewer qualifications and notso-good records of discipline,” the source said.