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 Sri Lanka crisis: President Gotabaya expands Cabinet again without Finance Minister

Embattled Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday, May 23, 2022, expanded the Cabinet with the induction of eight more Ministers but he did not appoint a Finance Minister once again to handle the worst economic crisis facing the island nation.

The new Ministers belong to the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and its allies — the SLFP and the EPDP, a Tamil minority party in the north. Rajapaksa, since the public protests began to rage against him for his resignation, has now reshuffled his Cabinet five times, including forcing the resignation of his elder brother and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Ministers will serve in the interim Cabinet of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe set up with the objective of handling the ongoing economic crisis. The new Ministers who were sworn in include Douglas Devananda — Minister of Fisheries; Keheliya Rambukwella - Minister of Health, Water Supply; Ramesh Pathirana — Minister of Industries; and Mahinda Amaraweera - Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Wildlife Conservation, the Economy Next news portal tweeted.

The post of Finance Minister continued to remain unstable ever since President Gotabaya in April sacked is younger brother Basil Rajapaksa, who was at the centre of anger within the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) coalition over mishandling of the economic crisis.