Ranil out from position of prime minister - A caretaker government of 15 ministers by Gotabhaya

Ranil out from position of prime minister - A caretaker government of 15 ministers by Gotabhaya

It is reported that prime minister Ranil Wickremasingha has met president Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at presidential secretariat and has received final decisions about what should be done with regard to political change of power. In this context, the president and prime minister have entered into a long discussion in respect of future activities of parliament. As a necessity of working together with his group has arisen, it was
discussed as to how it should be operated within the existing framework. 

As parliament should be dissolved to launch a new government, the president has no powers til March next year. It could be done with 2/3rds majority of the UNP group inclusive of Ranil. Though Ranil is in favour of this, on grounds that over 40 new members of parliament would not cover the expected number of years, there is a possibility that they would be deprived of their pension and therefore both Ranil and Gotabhaya have agreed at this discussion not to arrive at a decision at that moment. 

As the span of parliament would remain till next March, Ranil has consented to provide provisions to president Gotabhaya to carry on the government within the present framework without dissolving parliament. Accordingly Ranil has agreed to resign tomorrow (20), providing an opportunity Gotabhaya and his colleagues to form the cabinet. The cabinet too is expected to pull out simultaneously. Even by now about 10 ministers have tendered their resignations and by tomorrow powers of the others too will be annulled. 

Thus it has been decided to carry on the government under a caretaker government. Under these conditions Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is supposed to appoint a temporary cabinet comprising of about 15 ministers. As it happened in 2015, the government party would fill positions of prime minister and ministerial portfolios. Whatever it is, prime minister Ranil has in unison arrived at the decision of refraining from creating any influence on those positions, thus providing co-operation to exchange of powers. 

It was earlier reported that Mahinda Rajapaksa will not be appointed prime minister for this temporary government and that to a large extent Dinesh Goonawardena would be appointed for it. It was also reported that Mahinda Rajapaksa shows better preference to secure the position of prime minister with a mandate from the masses.