Darshana Sanjeewa Balasurirya and Sheain Fernandopulle Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Former President and SLFP Leader Maithripala Sirisena did not receive any Cabinet portfolio at the swearing-in ceremony of the new Cabinet held in Kandy today.

He was elected to Parliament from the Polonnaruwa District under the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) garnering 111,137 votes, which is the highest number of votes from the district.

Meanwhile, two cabinet ministerial portfolios and three State Ministry portfolios were given to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members who contested under the Sri Lanka People’s Freedom Alliance at the General Elections held last week.

A total of 13 candidates from the SLFP, who contested under the Sri Lanka People’s Freedom Alliance and one candidate who contested under SLFP at the General Elections have been elected to the country 9th Parliament.

Accordingly, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Amaraweera have been appointed as Cabinet Ministers while Dayasiri Jayasekera, Duminda Dissanayake and Lasantha Alagiyawanna were appointed as State Ministers.

Cadar Mastan and Angajan Ramanathan have been appointed as District Coordinating Committee Chairpersons.

However, Shantha Bandara, Shan Wijayalal, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Saradi Dushmantha, Jagath Pushpakumara and Chamara Sampath have not been given portfolios in the new government.

Meanwhile, W. D. J Seneviratne, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Susil Premajayantha, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Dilan Perera and Chandima Weerakkody, who were senior politicians contested under SLPP, did not receive any portfolios.

However, senior politicians including Keheliya Rambukwella, Gamini Lokuge, Nimal Siripala, Dullas Alahapperuma, Mahinda Amaraweera, Bandula Gunawardane, who contested under the SLPP, received respective portfolios.