COLOMBO: In a first major reshuffle since the current national government was formed in 2015, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday, appointed new ministers to nine key posts. Some of the key portfolios changed were: Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake appointed as the foreign affairs minister, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera appointed as finance and mass media minister and Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga appointed as petroleum resources development minister.

The cabinet reshuffle comes amidst the joint opposition led by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa urging the masses to rally around him and his aims of ‘toppling’ the government in 2017 and is seen as a bid by Sirisena to reconstruct the lacklustre image of their “Good Governance” regime.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2017