Monks destroy Muslim shrine as police stand idle

Tourism industry of Sri Lanka concerned over rising Buddhist extremism

Jan 25, Colombo: Stakeholders of Sri Lanka's tourism industry have expressed concerns that the rising Buddhist extremism in the country may affect the booming industry.

Kalutara magistrate yesterday remanded two managers of Cinnamon Bay Hotel of Moragalla, Beruwala in the Western Province for allegedly organizing a Buddha Bar event.

Hotel management says that the event was organized on a request of a French team of tourists arrived in the island vying for high end European market through Walkers' Tours. The organizers say that the event had no use of Buddha image.

But Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero, the leader of the Buddhist extremist group Bodu Bala Sena that illegally raided the hotel and threatened before media cameras to suspend the event, says that the menu of the party was named as Nirvana, a Sanskrit word used in Buddhism.

Sri Lanka has set a target of 1.3 million tourist arrivals for 2013 and trying to cater to the high end European market through liberal actions.

Monks destroy Muslim shrine as police stand idle

Introduction Content Map Amendments

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA <Previous Chapter Chapter Index Next Chapter> CHAPTER II - BUDDHISM Buddhism. 9. The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e). <Previous Chapter Chapter Index Next Chapter> I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X Chapters XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIIA XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV Schedules 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

Perched On Their Pinnacles Of Triumph

By Charitha Ratwatte -January 29, 2013

Charitha Ratwatte

World War I was a global war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all of the great powers of the world, as at that time, which were grouped into two opposing alliances: The Allies, based on the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, France and Russia on the one hand and the Central Powers, originally the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria, Hungary and Italy.

But, as Austria and Hungary had taken the offensive against the agreement, Italy did not enter into the war.

Alliances later reorganised, Italy supported the Allies and more countries entered the war. The United States of America entering the war on the Allies side in 1917 was a decisive factor. Ultimately more than 70 million military personnel were mobilised in the First World War. More than nine million combatants were killed. It was the sixth deadliest conflict in world history.

The conflict opened with the Austro Hungarian invasion of Serbia on 28 July 1914, it ended with the cease fire on 28 November 1918, known as Armistice Day. Arrangements are being made in the countries which were affected by the conflict to commemorate the centenary of the beginning of the war, in 2014. Most of these, plan to recognise and celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of the nine million young soldiers who lost their lives in the war.

Sri Lanka’s role

Sri Lanka or Ceylon, as we were known then, played a role in the First Word War. Sergei De Silva Ranasinghe, a researcher in Sri Lanka’s military history, strategic and defence studies, wrote a series of articles for The Sunday Times in 2004 on this subject.

He writes that, unlike most other colonies of the Empire, close to 50% of Ceylon’s volunteers to the Great War were commissioned as officers. Most of them tended to have previous affiliation to the Ceylon Cadet Battalion, military experience in the British Army, or were associated with a Ceylon Defence Force Formation.

Ranasinghe provides a table in which he gives the breakdown of 330 of the volunteers by four English medium schools at which they studied – Royal College 88, S. Thomas’ College, 86, Kingswood College 84, and Trinity College 72.
The Times of Ceylon in 1917 estimated that of the 1,250 total number of Ceylon volunteers, the newspaper knew of at that time, there were 105 fatalities, 84 killed in action, 21 died of wounds. 114 were wounded, and 18 were categorised as either missing or Prisoners of War. Of the 330 from the English medium schools 30% were casualties.

Some detail is available on four of the students of Trinity College Kandy who volunteered. They were Richard Aluwihare, Albert Halangoda, Frank Drieberg, and Ajit (Jik) Rudra. On 20 June 1994, a Thanksgiving Service was held at the Chapel of Trinity College Kandy for the life and work of Major General Ajit .A. (Jik) Rudra, Indian Army (Retd.) who had passed away on 3 November 1993. At the service, tributes were paid to General Rudra by the Principal of Trinity College, Capt. L.M. de Alwis, His Excellency the High Commissioner for India Shri Nareshwar Dayal, and the then President of the Trinity College Old Boys Association Lakshman Kadirgamar. I give below some excerpts from their speeches.

Lakshman Kadirgamar’s speech                           Read More

Family rule is sitting on a volcano; Mangala

TUESDAY, 29 JANUARY 2013 UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera spoke to the Daily Mirror about the recent impeachment process and the supremacy of parliament. He also discusses the failure of the UNP to appoint a deputy leader and  comments on the international pressure that Sri Lanka will face due to the impeachment proceedings.

A reshuffle brought to give positions to lackeys of Rajapaksa family – JVP

TUESDAY, 29 JANUARY 2013

The reshuffle of ministers carried out yesterday (28th) was solely a move to present ministerial portfolios to those lackeys who served Rajapaksa family but not with any scientific basis or one that targeted development of the economy of the country says Information Secretary of the JVP Vijitha Herath.

Speaking at a media conference held at the head office of the JVP at Pelawatta today (29th) Mr. Herath said, “Normally cabinet appointments are made targeting economic development of a country. Also, a scientific method is used in making these appointments. This scientific method should target the social and physical development of that country. However, no such scientific method is used in appointing the cabinet in our country. The only basis of the government in appointing ministers is to give positions to lackeys who serve Rajapaksa family. This creates adverse pressure on the people in the country.

Those in the government come out with various reasons for the reshuffle of the cabinet. However, the move is to give ministerial posts to those who serve, flatter, foster and attend on the Rajapaksa family. Vijith Wijemuny Soyza is given Wildlife Conservation while Susil Premajayanthe is given the Environment & Recycled Energy – animals to Zoysa and the jungle to Susil! There is no scientific basis at all. How could a country be developed by such a cabinet?

Several ministers have been assigned for power and energy. Pavithra who handed over the impeachment motion has been given electricity ministry while Anura Priyadhrashana Yapa who headed the impeachment process was elevated to the petroleum ministry. These ministerial portfolios have been given to elevate those who took an active part in the impeachment process but not to develop the energy sector in the country. For, this government has no intention of developing the country or having projects on a scientific basis. The Recycled Energy has been removed from Pavithra and given to Susil. His ministry is Environment & Recycled Energy These ministries do not have short term or long term project proposals. This has become a crazy, tomfoolery cabinet. It has become the ‘miraculous joke’ of the world. In appointing or reshuffling the cabinet no attention has been paid to the country’s physical or human development.

Why did the government need a reshuffle of the cabinet so suddenly? The masses are eager to know the real reason. It is carried out not because of weakness or inability of ministers. The government wanted to remove certain portions from certain ministers and elevate some others. A portion of Bandula Gunawardene’s ministry has been taken away and a new ministry called educational services has been created. It has been given to Duminda Dissanayake. Recently, Bandula Gunawardene had opposed in the cabinet a decision taken regarding distribution of clothes for school uniforms. It is as a consequence to this the education services portfolio that was under him has been removed.

Even with this reshuffle a deplorable situation has arisen for education. There are two ministers, two deputy ministers and a monitoring MP for education only. However, the government has still not been able to decide the marks levels according to the ‘Z’ score for the A/L examination held in 2011. Despite 16 months have gone by, the government has not been able to take a decision regarding this matter that affects future of these students. However, the government has commenced military training for the students. These students still do not know which university they would be sent to.

Also, the development of primary education in school education has been handed over to the Ministry of Economic Development. Now primary schools development will be done by the Ministry of Economic Development. Education in the country has been fragmented.

Former Minister of Power and Energy reiterated that he would make Electricity Board a profit earning institution. He said there would be no power cuts. However, in the end the electricity tariff went up. There were periods without electricity. All projects that were newly started were unsuccessful. In the end his statements became only empty words. The result is he became the Minister of Technology and Research.

The country has a new minister now. He is the Minister of Sugar Industries. We may also have ministers of dhal, coconut and rice in the future. This is only a jumbo cabinet. It is an elastic jumbo cabinet. New ministers are appointed according to whims and fancies. An eccentric comedy is being played. When masses are tormented with the increase in prices of essential commodities a portfolio of public recreation has been established. Even if people do not have an environment for recreation Jayaratne Herath could make use of the portfolio for his entertainment. There is no other intention in giving these ministerial portfolios other than being grateful to individuals who have helped to defend the crumbling family rule.

With the new appointment there are 67 senior ministers that also include the President and the Prime Minister. In addition there are two non-cabinet ministers and 28 deputy minister who enjoy all the privileges of cabinet ministers. These 69 ministers have 1035 personnel as staff.  The 28 deputy ministers have a staff of 280. Most of the members of the staff of these ministers and deputy ministers consist of their wives, siblings and relatives. It is a good opportunity to get them employment. They get vehicles, official residences, fuel allowances and various other perks. The burden of all these facilities falls on masses.  All these expenses are covered with the taxes levied from masses. The burden of the eccentric cabinet of ministers and the families and relations has to be borne by the masses. It is under such circumstance that the prices of essential commodities go up.

During every month since January, 2012 the tax for IDD calls, sugar, dhal, garlic, various cooking oils went up; prices of fuel, transport rates, electricity bills, tax for three wheelers, motor cycles, liquor, cigarettes, interest for housing loans, prices of vegetables, what flour, fruits, gas, tableware, water bills went up.

The marriage fee went up from Rs.1000 to Rs.5000.The death certificate rose to Rs.2000. The deed fee has become Rs.500. The stamp fee in a church marriage rose from Rs.25 to Rs.750. Media has reported that electricity tariff would go up soon. This entire burden has descended on the masses.  A new amendment to bus fares is imminent. By now prices of all vegetables have gone beyond Rs.300. The cabinet has become a set of ludicrous nitwits who play an eccentric comedy. Vegetable prices have gone up due to non availability of a proper plan for the government. A gang of middlemen called ‘Naadi’ is the cause of vegetable prices going up states the government. If so the country doesn’t need a government. As such, the masses in the country should rally against the arbitrary administration of this government that comes out with idiotic statement.”

Heart And Soul Of Siddhartha

By Sajeeva Samaranayake -January 29, 2013

Sajeeva Samaranayake

As a troubled nation continues on its weary way burdened with the weight of violence and anxiety – the film Sri Siddhartha Gautama makes a welcome appearance to transport us to another reality. This short reflection is not about the monumental feat of Navin Gooneratne as the producer – but about Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha – an older piece of work which remains grossly un-appreciated in this country.

Can great cinema change attitudes by itself? This is an interesting question because film makers have often created exquisite works of art which must somehow penetrate the mental chains we have bound ourselves with. Most probably the extent of penetration will always depend on how much we see ourselves – stripped of our usual and instinctive self images….

We learn about phenomena through our reactions to them. When these reactions began in time we don’t know…. It may be something pretty mundane (or so we think) like our reaction to heat, sweat and a scratching body that itches here and there. Not when we have got into some sporting activity where all this is hardly noticed – but when after a tiring day of work and you take a refreshing wash and there is some sudden sweaty activity for which you have not mentally prepared….. then you will resist and identify this as a clear enemy – a discomfort and irritation, like a mosquito.

The reaction becomes a badge for that phenomenon which you can then identify very efficiently and effortlessly as the sanna or symbol for this particular aversion you have cultivated. With the symbolic direction given to your mind your intention and action is formed and the karma is completed. In other words you have accumulated, strengthened and reinforced a particular tendency in your mind. You can be sure this tendency will visit you again and again and again. This mental feat is the basic journey we take through samsara – and of course there are thousands of cravings and aversions shapes and colours and tastes with which we construct the self and world.

Repetition makes for habit and habit makes character. It is this character that is the hardest thing to change because it has developed its own logic in collaboration with mara our thinking ego which can con us into staying within its own empire – the empire of the senses.

Buddha’s teaching is simply about working backwards through this self created maze. He taught the people he met the basic technology using metaphors, similes and stories suited to their own temperament and mental status. Following the yogis and sramanas who had preceded him into the forests in the Gangetic plain in India he stressed on the need for cultivating stillness of body and silence of mind to experience the spaciousness and peace within the human consciousness. And of course he came up with the technical tools that could take the disciple right up to final liberation from the bondage of desire, aversion and blindness.

One central idea in his teaching was to let go or renounce. If the existing consciousness was to unravel by itself for the disciple to see the working of the mind the constant flow of fresh sensory impressions had to be stopped – hence the need for renunciation and meditation. In Herman Hesse’s classic Siddhartha the young Brahmin refuses to become an official follower of Buddha and he elects to go his own way. He attains self realization after a turbulent life of experiencing both excessive sensual indulgence and the bitter after-taste of such immersion. To a superficial reader this novel may look a challenge to Buddhism. This is especially so as Siddhartha’s friend Govinda who did become a disciple of the Buddha returns eventually to Siddhartha as a confused and disillusioned old man without finding release from suffering.

Siddhartha is in fact a challenge, but only to institutionalized Buddhism that affirms the dualism of ‘this’ and ‘that’. The dualism of Buddhism as a unique path and a reduction of all other paths is confronted by Hesse who demonstrates that renunciation and meditation as a way of life rather than any formal or official way is really the heart and soul of Buddhism. In fact the same might be said of other organized religions as well.

Enlightenment does not depend on being a Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim or Christian but on the depth of your renunciation, meditation and intelligence. Spiritual understanding and dialogue between the followers of different religions and sects from time immemorial up to this day has proceeded on this pragmatic foundation.  In fact neither Buddhism nor Hinduism would have matured as they did without being influenced by each other within the uniquely Indian and broadminded spiritual environment. This cross cultural exchange and dialogue takes place person to person even if the organized religions would for their obvious reasons assert separation.

A Curious New Cabinet

Tuesday, 29 January 2013

Here are some quick thoughts on today’s reshuffle of Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers, and bringing in some context to it.

Although most people thought that following the comprehensive victory by both the President and the UPFA in the last set of elections, the strong 2/3rds majority in Parliament will mean that the government will be strong and stable and can, for once, avoid having to pander and please politicians and coalition partners by creating an unfathomably large number of Ministerial positions. This lasted about a year or two, and then the country regressed back into its old ways. Today, 10 new ministers, two project ministers and six deputy ministers were appointed under an expanded cabinet – probably the biggest since the UPFA regime first entered in 2005.

Following today’s cabinet reshuffle Sri Lanka has got a very curious set of new Ministries. The first of which must surely be the new Ministry for Sugar Industries (to manage all of just 3-4 sugar plantations and processing facilities in all of the country). The second must surely be the new Ministry for Botanical Gardens and Public Recreation (probably the most wonderful Ministerial job in the country). Meanwhile a new Ministry for Wildlife Conservation has been created – which for some reason could not be incorporated under the existing Environment Ministry? Ironically, Sri Lanka seems to be setting a great example by gifting Rs. 400 million worth of contraband elephant tusks (from hundreds of poached African elephants) to Sri Lankan temples.

Energy seems to have assumed top priority in this new cabinet reshuffle as “energy” features in three of the new portfolios. Sri Lanka’s energy, particularly electricity, sector is constantly in disarray. But we now have a Ministry of Power and Energy, a Ministry of Technology, Research and Atomic Energy, and a Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy. Surely this will then mean that in future we can eagerly await an era where 1) there will no longer be spectacular losses of the CEB and CPC burdening the public purse, 2) no more substandard fuel imports which damage thousands of motor vehicles, and 3) and end to the terribly unreliable electricity connectivity in many parts of the country.

Despite two responsibilities hitherto coming under the purview of the Ministry of Economic Development – investment promotion as well as botanical gardens – now taken out and set up separately (effectively somewhat shrinking the ministry), it’s curious that the number of ministers in this ministry have actually expanded. There are now THREE Deputy Ministers for Economic Development appointed in the new cabinet. This must also be a reflection of the expanded role for the Ministry likely to take shape soon with the setting up of the new gargantuan ‘Divineguma Development Department’.

Interestingly, Patali Champika Ranawaka’s removal from the Ministry of Power and Energy comes with curious timing – on the back of his ongoing tussle with Minister Amunugama (Dty Finance Minister) regarding suggestions by the latter that the CEB ought to be part-privatized in order to minimize operational losses.

Meanwhile, Segu Dawood takes over as the new Minister for Productivity Promotion. Sri Lanka had a Ministry for Productivity Promotion earlier as well, and it is laudable that we finally set one up, but I am curious to know whether this Ministry achieved at all. In fact, the severe lack of a coordinated productivity enhancement effort in Sri Lanka was highlighted just last week, by one of Sri Lanka’s forefathers of productivity.

One of the most crucial subject areas in post-war Sri Lanka – attracting foreign investment to our shores – has now rightly assumed a more prominent role once more, with the creation of a separate Ministry for Investment Promotion (like in late 1990s and early and mid-2000s) under Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena. This comes amidst a shake up at the apex investment promotion agency, the Board of Investment, to which a new Director General was appointed just last week. Attracting more foreign investment is a critical part of the overall effort to raise the country’s investment ratio, without which we cannot expect to achieve faster growth.

Finally, I am curious to know what the newly appointed ‘Project Ministers’ will be responsible for. We now have two of them – one for Highways and one for Ports. Will the existing Ministry of Ports and Highways be scrapped, then?

What do you find curious about the new cabinet?

Reshuffle: No major shocks but Cabinet increases to 57

*Five Deputies promoted
*Five cabinet, 5 deputy posts shuffled
*‘High Octane’ portfolio for impeachment PSC Chairman Yapa

January 28, 2013, 12:00 pm 

by Dasun Edirisinghe

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Cabinet reshuffle yesterday held no shocks. However, the Cabinet of Ministers was increased from 52 to 57 with the elevation of five deputy Ministers.

The portfolios of five Cabinet ministers were changed and so were those of six Deputy Ministers. Two project Ministers were also appointed.

The Ministers and Deputy Ministers were sworn-in before President Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday morning.

According to the President’s Media Division, deputy Ministers Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Jayaratne Herath, Duminda Dissanayake, Vijithamuni Zoysa and Basheer Segudawood were sworn in as ministers of Investment Promotion, Botanical Gardens and Public Entertainment, Educational Services, Wildlife Conservation and Productivity Promotion respectively.

Susil Premajayantha was sworn in as Minister of Environment and Renewable Energy while Anura Priyadarshana Yapa was appointed the Minister of Petroleum Industries.

Former Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka was sworn in as Minister of Technology and Research while Pavithra Wanniarachchi was given the Power and Energy portfolio.

Former Minister of Productivity Promotion Lakshman Seneviratne was sworn in as the Minister of Sugar Industries Development while Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Nirmala Kotalawala were appointed as the Project Ministers of Ports and Highways.

Presidential Media Coordinating Secretary Wijayananda Herath said that S. M. Chandrasena, Susantha Punchinilame and M. L. A. M. Hisbullah were sworn in as Deputy Ministers of Economic Development while Faizer

Musthapha, A. R. M. Abdul Cader and Sarath Kumara Gunaratne were sworn in as deputy ministers of Investment Promotion, Environment and Renewable Energy and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources respectively.

According to the reshuffle, five new deputy ministerial portfolios were created while the six deputy ministerial portfolios held by Duminda Dissanayake (Youth Affairs and Skills Development), Vijithamuni Zoysa (Education), Jayaratne Herath (Industry and Commerce), Basheer Segudawood (Co-operatives and Internal Trade), Faizer Musthapha (Technology and Research), Sarath Kumara Gunaratne (State Resources and Enterprise Development) and M. L. A. M. Hisbullah (Child Development and Women Affairs) were left vacant.

The number of Cabinet Ministers increased to 57 with yesterday’s reshuffle. Now 52 per cent of the MPs in the ruling coalition have either Ministerial or Deputy Ministerial portfolios.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne hold five ministerial portfolios in the Cabinet.

In addition to these ministers of the cabinet there are ten senior ministers.

The Bigger Thing Is To Keep Matchstick In Box

By Malinda Seneviratne -January 29, 2013 

Malinda Seneviratne

It is easy to see ominous signs where there are none.  Molehills, after all, are frequently made into mountains.  On the other hand, if atom can be made into bomb, we must acknowledge that society is a tinder box and people matchsticks.  Few things inspire collective umbrage as assaults on collective identity, perceived or real.

Sri Lanka has enough collectives to make anyone given to rabble rousing on identity-account salivate.  It does not take the entire collective to feel wronged.  It does not take even a single individual to feel affronted on account of identity.  It can take either, but it would also suffice for a few shrew (misguided or otherwise) individuals who know that spark can make a bonfire to gather enough tinder or create it if necessary and put match to it.

It is glib to say ‘communities have always lived in harmony’.  There have been long periods of peaceful co-existence, but no two communities can claim to have been ‘always at peace’ except in situations of subjugation, where the ‘peace’ is obtained at a price and resentment and humiliation go from raging fire to subdued flame to smoldering ember.  The truth is that identity matters.  It is primary source of meaning, for human beings are cultural creatures; they have language, customs and subscribes to cosmologies.  They are frail and therefore vulnerable.  Those vulnerabilities are preyed on by identity ‘others’ as well as identity exploiters.

In short we are a nation where there are enough red flags around to upset anyone whose identity fixation is capable of transforming him/her into the proverbial bull.  Indeed even a pink flag waved can be seen as ‘red’ or read as being flaunted in face.  That is the downside of identity-fixation and I am not even sure if there’s an ‘up’ side to it.

It doesn’t have to be identity either.  The smart identity-abuser can dress non-identity issues in ethnic and religious clothes.  Bogeymen can be conjured at will.  You talk to representatives of either of the ‘aggrieved’ camps and they would come up with excellent arguments to back their fears and objections.  One would think that the articulators are all unblemished on all counts and the ‘other’ they contend with are pretty odious creatures.

One thing is clear.  The law cannot differentiate among collectives.  One thing is clear: no group has the right to take the law into their hands.  One thing is clear.  If you insult, you hurt and some among the hurt will be angry and of those who are angry there will be some who will retire reason in favor of passion.  One thing is clear.  It is easy to set fire to things it is a hundred times more difficult to douse the flames.  One thing is clear.  Pyromaniacs love each other.

The true test of character and civic responsibility, however, is to desist from making statements and asking questions that could provoke irritation (irritation is spark, first spark; anger is fire).  The true challenge is to sift message from messenger, obtain word without letting its religious coloring blur vision. The true responsibility is to ignore the obvious political motivation (it is political, let us not be naïve here) and do what is prescribed in the faith-texts of your choice.

I am a Buddhist so I will speak as one.  Buddhists, since they are the most frequently vilified (we have seen ridiculous and utterly pernicious blanket extrapolation to collective the act of a single or a few individuals), if they feel ‘wronged’ (on account of sense of identity rather than philosophical conviction, obviously), would do well to take refuge in the twin notions relevant to all engagement: wisdom and compassion.  They would do well to reflect on the sathara agathi (the four pathways to destruction), namely greed (lobha), hatred (dosa), delusion (moha) and fear (bhaya) because they make the vast majority of the population.  For when a weak man is afflicted, only a small circle of people are harmed, but when a leader is arrogant, delusional, hateful etc., nations can perish.

No one can prescribe ways of being to others.  We can only self-prescribe.  If we are wise and compassionate, there’s less chance of causing harm.  We are the atoms that make the bomb.  All of us.  One explosion can take out the entire nation.  One can stop oneself, not anyone else.

*Malinda Seneviratne is the Chief Editor of ‘The Nation and his articles can be found at www.malindawords.blogspot.com .

Mahinda scores a century!

By Dharisha Bastians-January 29, 2013 
Undeterred by mounting pressure on a bloated Cabinet, criticism over poor governance, rising costs and inefficiencies, President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday figuratively scored a century making it a team of 102 Ministers following a fresh round of appointments.

The much anticipated reshuffle which analysts described largely as an act of rewarding those who played a key role in the impeachment of Shirani Bandarnayake as the Chief Justice, saw change of portfolios for several in addition to the appointment of five new Ministers, two Project Ministers and six Deputies.
The overall tally of 102 includes 67 Cabinet Ministers, 30 Deputies, two project Ministers and three Monitoring MPs. Monitoring MPs are also granted ministerial rank.
The new appointees took oaths before President Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday.
The key Ministries to change hands in the reshuffle were Power and Energy, which was transferred from JHU strongman Champika Ranawaka to former Technology and Research Minister Pavithra Wanniarachichi and Petroleum Resources held by Susil Premajayantha went to former Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa with the former appointed as the new Minister of Environment and Renewable Energy.
      
Five new ministries were created in the reshuffle bringing the total number of Ministers in the UPFA Government to 67. The Ministries of Sugar Industries, Investment Promotion, Botanical Gardens and Public Recreation, Education Services and Wildlife Conservation are the new portfolios created in yesterday’s rearrangement.
Four of the new Ministries have been divided amongst four former deputy ministers, with Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane appointed Minister for Investment Promotion, Jayaratne Herath appointed Minister of Botanical Gardens and Public Recreation, Duminda Dissanayake as Minister of Educational Services and Gamini Vijith Vijayamuni Zoysa as minister of Wildlife Conservation.

The subject of Investment Promotion was previously assigned to the Ministry of Economic Development headed by Basil Rajapaksa.

Former Minister of Productivity Promotion Lakshman Seneviratne claimed the newly created Sugar Industries portfolio.
Former Deputy Minister of Cooperatives and Internal Trade Basir Segu Dawwod was appointed as Minister of Productivity Promotion in the reshuffle.
The main opposition UNP hit out at the numbers as being a further burden on the tax-payer and a body blow to the separation of powers concept. UNP National List MP Eran Wickremaratne said that with 102 UPFA Members now holding ministerial portfolios, the Government was a few Ministers short of a parliamentary majority made up entirely of ministers and deputy ministers. “The separation of powers becomes meaningless, when a majority of the legislature are of ministerial (or executive) rank,” Wickremaratne told Daily FT following the reshuffle.
Analysts said the main thrust of the reshuffle appeared to be the reassignment of the Power and Energy portfolio while at least two Government members who were instrumental in the impeachment were granted obvious promotions. Ravaya Editor and political commentator, Victor Ivan told Daily FT that the target of President Rajapaksa’s reshuffle appeared to have been Minister Ranawaka. “The President badly wanted to make a change in that sector,” Ivan said. He said it also appeared to be a system of rewarding certain UPFA members who had played a role in the impeachment process.

Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa was the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee that probed the impeachment against Bandaranayake while Wanniaarachchi led the team of five UPFA MPs that handed the motion of impeachment over to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa on 1 November 2012. Several ministers and deputy ministers who received “promotions” were among the 117 signatories to the impeachment motion against Bandaranayake.

Under the restructure, the Economic Development Ministry will have four deputy ministers, with S.M. Chandrasena, Susantha Punchinilame and M.A.L.M Hisbullah sworn in to the positions yesterday. Muthu Sivalingam is also currently holds the position of Deputy Minister of Economic Development. Chandrasena previously resigned from his ministerial portfolio of Agrarian Services and Wildlife in September last year to pave the way for his brother to be appointed Chief Minister of the North Central Provincial Council.