The swearing-in of State and Deputy Ministers of the Interim Government will be held at the Presidential Secretariat today.
The Cabinet of Ministers of the Interim Government comprising 15 members took oaths before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last Friday. It is the smallest Cabinet ever appointed in the country after 1956.
All Cabinet Ministers who were sworn in last Friday had commenced duties at their respective ministries by yesterday. The Interim Government was formed with the objective of implementing the first stage of the pledges made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa through his “Vistas of Prosperity” Presidential Election manifesto, until a General Election is held in compliance with the Constitution for a new Government.
Parliament cannot be dissolved right now unless with an endorsement by two-thirds of the members for a dissolution.
Government sources said that State and Deputy Ministers are to be appointed to ease the work load of Cabinet Ministers whose scope of subjects has widened considerably due to the Cabinet being shrunk drastically.
Sources said that Parliamentarians representing the Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna (SLPP), Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and other allied parties will receive an opportunity when State and Deputy Ministers are appointed.
The appointment of the State Ministers had originally been scheduled for Monday.
The decision to move the swearing-in date to today is understood to be based on the grounds that it is an auspicious day and also because the state ministers list had not been finalised by Monday.
(Daily News)