Won't be possible to give Minister portfolios ....

Won't be possible to give Minister portfolios ....

and satisfy all SLFPers who join National Government

- President says

There were 38 who lifted their hands from the

SLFP at the vote taken in parliament to give support for the National Government recently and of them 11 have been appointed as Ministers. It is still not definite as to whether a section from the balance 27 would be switching to Mahinda's side in the Opposition. According to reports published at present the SLFP is due to secure 4 Cabinet Minister positions. Though Deputy Minister and State Minister portfolios have still not been conferred there is no possibility that all such positions would be given to all 27 of them.

It was reported recently that President Maithripala Sirisena had forcefully stated in the presence of SLFP MPs that it is not possible to grant Minister portfolios to all SLFP MPs who voted for the proposals of preparing the National Government in parliament.

A meeting has taken place between the the President and SLFP MPs who voted for the proposal in the morning of last Friday (4) where the President had mentioned that those who are deprived of Ministerial portfolios would be bestowed with appointments in parliament as well as positions in District Co-ordinating Committees in future. In the same way the President had mentioned that SLFP MPs would be given Chairmanship posts in Provincial Development Committees in Seats where the UPFA had been victorious. It is understood that faces of some members have gone sour over this decision.

In the process though those of the Mahinda Faction had made a special statement in parliament and were to take their Seats in the Opposition they too are are facing an inconvenience in sorting out their own party members in the face of this Ministerial and Deputy Ministerial muddle. After the rest of the portfolios of the appointed Ministers are sworn-in all, these existing problems would be solved, political sources comment.