Cabinet reshuffle to change Health Ministry?

A Cabinet reshuffle planned by the President yesterday (09) was reportedly delayed due to unavoidable circumstances.

According to sources, the reshuffle includes the following;

Prof. G.L. Peiris as the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Dinesh Gunawardena as the Minister of Higher Education
Prasanna Ranatunga as the Minister of Education
Pavithra Wanniarachchi as the Minister of Power
Dr. Ramesh Pathirana as the Minister of Health
Keheliya Rambukwella as the Minister of Plantation Industries, and,
Dullas Alahapperuma as the Minister of Mass Media.

There is no mentioning of the Tourism Ministry.

Although Dinesh Gunawardena’s name was nominated for the post of Education Minister, including Higher Education, certain pressure exerted from the Ruling Party restricted the nomination to being only the Ministry of Higher Education, sources added. Although Sarath Weerasekara’s ministry was originally intended to be reshuffled, his name was not included in the list, they added.

In the event that a team of health officials are always testing the attendees prior to any meeting chaired by the President, five officials who were scheduled to meet with the President yesterday were tested positive for Covid via antigen, due to which the physical meeting was cancelled.

It is in this backdrop was the meeting held via Zoom yesterday.