CABINET “RESHUFFLE” aka COMEDY OF ERRORS !

The serious manner in which the impending Cabinet Reshuffle was being talked about by the President keeping the general public in suspense for quite some time ended up as a big disappointment and a joke, just like the saying “laboured a mountain and brought forth a little mouse”.

To say the least, the so called reshuffle is an utter failure.  Even the allocation of portfolios and institutions to some ministries create a big confusion.  It is downright ridiculous for the Foreign Ministry to have institutions such as Development Lotteries Board, National Lotteries Board, Mahapola Scholarship Fund, and (hold your breath), even the national carrier Sri Lankan airlines.  There is also talk of bringing the SEC, (which is hitherto under the Prime Minister)  under the newly constituted Foreign Ministry !

The comedy gets funnier and crazier.

What is the great idea behind allocating Mass Media to the Finance Ministry.  Is it to compensate for the loss of institutions such as NLB, DLB etc. which traditionally were under the Finance Ministry. 

If Sabaragamuwa and Central Province deserve to have dedicated ministers, then how about the other provinces.  Perhaps, more “development” ministries are on the pipeline to satisfy other trouble-making ministers.  On top of all this, there is also a Minister for “Regional Development” already existing. Wonder what his actual would be now.

All what this long awaited cabinet reshuffle has done is obviously to satisfy the egos of some super ministers and not to achieve the end result that the President must have had in his mind to give more meaning to the so called “Yahapaalanaya” thus eliminating corruption.

What is really laughable is that a powerful minister who was really worried about losing his very powerful ministry has ended up in a win-win situation and having the last laugh.

So much for the much talked about and publicized “ scientific allocation of subjects to Ministries” which was one of the boasts of the Yahapaalana advocates prior to the elections.