ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake appointed a 21-member new cabinet on Monday, four days after the election in which his National Peopleâ€s Power (NPP) recorded a landslide victory, but his cabinet lacked representations from ethnic minority Muslims and Tamils from the island nationâ€s former war zone of North and East.
Dissanayakeâ€s Maxists Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led ruling NPP won 159 seats in a 225-member parliament in a surprise win, much higher than NPP leaders†estimation of 120 seats.
The more-than two-third majority will enable the Dissanayakeâ€s new government to change the constitution focusing on the key promises they have given: eliminating corruption, implementing rule of law without any discrimination, and reducing cost of living.
“Historically, Sri Lankaâ€s political landscape has often been defined by a divide; North against South, and vice versa, which was fueled by mistrust and division,†Dissanayake said after the new cabinet  was sworn in.
“However, this election has shattered those boundaries, demonstrating that the politics of division no longer holds sway. For the first time, the aspirations of the people in the North, South, East, and West have converged on a shared vision for our future.â€
Though most of the ethnic minority Tamil and Muslim political parties in the island nationâ€s North and East either backed other political parties or contested independently, majority of the Tamil and Muslim voters backed Dissanayake-led NPP in the November 14 election, signaling to end ethnicity and religion based politics since the countryâ€s independence in 1948.
FIRST TIME SINCE 1948
A Muslim representative was not appointed to the cabinet for the first time since the 1948 independence while the county has seen a cabinet without a Tamil representing the island nationâ€s North and East for the first time in more than two decades, the official data showed.
Dissanayake appointed two Tamils as Cabinet Ministers, but not from the countryâ€s former war zones of North and East.
Responding to the criticism, Colombo district NPP legislator Rizvie Salih, a medical practitioner by profession, said the ruling NPP is of the view that the primary condition for leading a ministry should be a personâ€s qualifications, skills, and political acumen and not their gender, race, or religion.
“I have full confidence that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed the right individuals to the right ministries. As someone with far more insight into their capabilities and contributions than the rest of us, his decisions are undoubtedly rooted in merit.â€
“The calls to appoint a minister based solely on religion risk fueling unnecessary divisions and undermining the very unity we need to move forward. We elected the NPP because we trust their vision and commitment to building a better Sri Lanka for everyone, regardless of religious or ethnic differences.â€
“Let us honor that trust by giving this government the space to deliver results without being distracted by divisive debates over who we think should hold specific ministries. What matters is the progress of the country—not the labels of individuals,†Salih said.
All the new cabinet ministers except President Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, and Agriculture Minister K. D. Lalkantha have been appointed as the cabinet ministers for the first time.
President Dissanayake was a cabinet minister in 2004 and soon after the September 21 presidency, while Prime Minister Amarasuriya was appointed as a cabinet Minister for the first time after the presidential poll two months back.
Both Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and Agriculture Minister K. D. Lalkantha were part of the 2004 cabinet. Vijitha Herath was also a cabinet minister since September 21.
Ports Minister Bimal Ratnayake, Plantation Minister Samantha Vidyaretna, and Industries Minister Sunil Handunetti were deputy ministers for around one year in 2004.
All others are fresh leaders including some of reputed academics in their respective fields.
Many past politicians have raised concerns over the new administrationâ€s tenure because of the immaturity and lack of experience of the elected and chosen legislators.
However, sources close to the NPP say they will face and address the experience concerns. (Colombo/November 18/2024)
