JVP ministers sworn in, attend first cabinet meeting

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 April 2004, 10:46 GMT]
Eight parliamentarians of the Sinhala nationalist, Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), one of the two major constituents of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) were sworn in before Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge as cabinet rank ministers and deputy ministers Wednesday morning around 9.30. Later they attended their first cabinet meeting at about 10 .30 a.m, political sources said.

Mr.Anura Dissanayake took oath as the Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Irrigation, Mr. Vijitha Heart Minister of Cultural Affairs, Mr.K.D.Lal Kantha Minister of Rural Economy and Mr.Chandradasa Wijesinghe Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Their deputies Mr.Bimal Ratnayake, Mr.Samantha Vidyaretna, Mr.Sunil Handunetti and Mr.Nihal Galapathi respectively also took oaths, government sources said.

Sixty two parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka freedom Party (SLFP), another major constituent of the UPFA three weeks ago were sworn in as cabinet ministers and deputy ministers. Of them 31 are cabinet ministers and rest deputy ministers.

Though Ms.Kumaratunge appointed four JVP parliamentarians as cabinet ministers with four deputy ministers they boycotted the swearing in ceremony of the SLFP ministerial colleagues over a dispute regarding the allocation of Mahaveli Development ministry.

However both constituents of the UPFA reached an agreement last week to resolve the issue. According to the agreement the subject Mahaveli Development has been brought under the SLFP Minister Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena who currently holds the post of Ministry of River Basin Development and Rajarata Development. But the agricultural activities under the Mahaveli Development have been brought under the JVP Minister Mr.Anura Dissanayake, sources said.