Sri Lankan President reshuffles cabinet

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday reshuffled his unity government following months of political unrest between the two main coalition partners, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP).

Some of the notable changes included UNP legislator Wijedasa Rajapakse, who was the former Justice Minister but sacked by President Sirisena last August. He will be sworn in as the new Minister of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs. Faizer Mustapha will be the new Minister of Sports, reports Xinhua news agency.

SLFP legislator Duminda Dissanayake was sworn in as the new Minister of Disaster Management while retaining his portfolio of Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources.

United National Front legislator Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka was sworn in as Minister of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development.

The reshuffle came after six cabinet ministers from the SLFP led by Sirisena resigned last month, after they voted in Parliament in favour of a non-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who heads the UNP.

The new ministers were sworn at a ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat.

--IANS

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