Can We Keep Our “Hopes Alive” Under Yahapālanaya?
Gamini Jayaweera
The people of Sri Lanka have placed their trust and pinned their hopes when they voted in millions in favour of the new government, that President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will fulfil their aspirations by laying a strong foundation to rebuild a democratic, compassionate, peaceful, law abiding, and sovereign society by the advancement of social, religious, cultural, economic, and technological developments in the country. After the appointment of the new cabinet by the President and the Prime Minister, the time is right for us who have risked their lives and livelihoods by publically supporting Mr. Maithripala Sirisena during the presidential election, to examine whether the “Yahapalanaya” government is on the right path to keep our “Hopes Alive”.
Setting Up a “Jumbo” Cabinet
It is true to say that the President and the Prime Minister have inflicted a serious blow to keep our “Hopes Alive” by appointing a Cabinet consist of 44 members including President and the Prime Minister. In addition there are13 State Ministers and 23 Deputy Ministers who are not members of the cabinet. During the pre-election period the leaders of the “Yahapalanaya” quite rightly criticised the size of the cabinet in the previous regime and promised us that they would not follow the same path of appointing a “Jumbo Cabinet” because it will cost the country a vast amount of money to maintain such a cabinet. The impression given to the nation was that the cabinet would be a maximum of thirty (30). Most importantly, we do not need such a large cabinet as Sri Lanka is a small country compared to large countries where the no. of cabinet ministerial posts is between 20 and 25. Assuming that the “Yahapalanaya” has appointed a “Jumbo” cabinet in the short-term to fulfil some election promises where the government needs two thirds majority in the parliament, can we keep our “Hopes Alive” that the President and the Prime Minister will take action to reduce the “Jumbo” cabinet to an acceptable level at the appropriate time?
Appointment of Corrupt Politicians
