Interim Cabinet – the other side

Notwithstanding the ongoing protests, mushrooming all over the country, demanding the ouster of the President, the Premier and the Parliament, in toto, in so called compliance with the requests made by the Maha Sangha and self-centred politicians, the President with a view to protecting his own position, has agreed to set up a multi-party Cabinet.

In brief, the suggestion is to have a 15-member Cabinet and an equal number of Ministers of State.

From which parties and on what proportional basis will they be selected?

The Parliament is composed of 15 parties of which the SJB and the NPP have already declared that they will not accept any Cabinet portfolios.

The SLPP, as an alliance, had 11 individual parties supportive of it (which incidentally is now history and have now become part proposers of the idea for their own benefit).

How many portfolios will the SLPP and Rebels demand?

Then there is the group led by Anura Priyadharshana Yapa to contend with.

It is difficult to imagine that both the above factions will settle for junior positions

To give credibility to the proposal, the other parties, represented in Parliament, should also be given ministerial portfolios, perhaps on a proportional basis.

This infers that the ITAK, EPDP, AITC, with multi representation, and seven other parties with a single representation, should also be offered ministerial positions.

The irony of it is that Ranil Wickremesinghe and Ven. Rathana Thera also automatically become entitled, even though their respective parties failed miserably at the last general election.

Yet another concern is that, in the event the proposal succeeds, it will inevitably mean that only the Leaders and/or Secretaries of the respective parties, will receive the ministerial portfolio and not the others, even though they may be intellects among other members.

In such a scenario, it is highly possible that the Ministers nominated will be those who have previously held such positions and have various allegations being levelled against them.

Sanity and patriotism should prevail to satisfy the masses and not the politicians

WILLIAM OPP