SL President dismisses 39 non-cabinet, deputy ministers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 February 2004, 14:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Wednesday removed 27 non-cabinet ministers and 12 deputy ministers from the United National Front government. She exercised power vested with her under Article 47 of the constitution in issuing the dismissal order, presidential secretariat sources said.

Thirty-three ministers with cabinet rank are functioning even after the removal of 39 non-cabinet and deputy ministers, sources said.

The Presidential secretariat has asked those former non-cabinet and deputy ministers to surrender their vehicles and other facilities to the respective authorities to avoid abuse and misuse of powers delegated to them before the dissolution of the parliament, sources said.

Dr Jayalath Jayawardene, the minister in charge of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in the North-East, is one of the 27 non-cabinet ministers removed from their posts Wednesday, sources in Colombo said.