gulfnews.com,  Sun Jan 28 17:01:08 EST 2007

    Colombo: President Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday expanded his Cabinet to a record 52 members to accommodate members from the main opposition United National Party (UNP) disregarding a warning by the party that they were withdrawing their support to cooperate with the government on carrying on with the peace process.
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- The Academic

SO WHAT!. this is the way should be . Every body should be in oneside,then you can develop or destroy the country.!!.

I feel sorry for Anura B

At one time he was supposed to be the successor to CBK ahead of Mahinda R.

Then he was not given even the PM post. After Kadir he was given Foreign Ministry for short time but could not hold on to it. Then minister of tourism now down to minister of "heritage"

What will be the next move for him ?


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Peace for Sri Lanka

Velusumana wrote:

I feel sorry for Anura B

At one time he was supposed to be the successor to CBK ahead of Mahinda R.

Then he was not given even the PM post. After Kadir he was given Foreign Ministry for short time but could not hold on to it. Then minister of tourism now down to minister of "heritage"

What will be the next move for him ?

He might join JVP!!

If more UNPers or other party MPs join govt some nore ministries have to be created. For example, Prabha may ask TNA to join govt.

Some suggestions to create new ministries :

1) Ministry of Teledramas and FM channels
2) Ministry of 3 wheelers, bicycles and bullock carts
3) Ministry of Domestic Tourism
4) Ministry of Wirawila Airport Development
5) Ministry of Abductions and Attacking Rallies
6) Ministry of Anti-Mosquito Affairs


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Peace for Sri Lanka

I still cannot figure what following two ministers responsibilities are

Minister of Plan and Implementation
Minister of Supplementary Corps Development

Probably MR ran out of names.
I really think Velusumana suggested ministries are much more meaningfull and usefull than this two.

Velusumana wrote:

If more UNPers or other party MPs join govt some nore ministries have to be created. For example, Prabha may ask TNA to join govt.

Some suggestions to create new ministries :

1) Ministry of Teledramas and FM channels
2) Ministry of 3 wheelers, bicycles and bullock carts
3) Ministry of Domestic Tourism
4) Ministry of Wirawila Airport Development
5) Ministry of Abductions and Attacking Rallies
6) Ministry of Anti-Mosquito Affairs

more suggestions:
Ministry of garbage removal and street cleaning.
Ministry of traffic control.
Ministry of pollution control.

Negombo wrote:

I still cannot figure what following two ministers responsibilities are

Minister of Plan and Implementation
Minister of Supplementary Corps Development

Probably MR ran out of names.
I really think Velusumana suggested ministries are much more meaningfull and usefull than this two.

"Supplementary Crops" is probably the Ministry for growing the raw material for Poonac ? Negombo, this should be a good thing, no ? - They probably have a Department of Copra, a Lettuce Directorate and the Secretariat of Leafy Green Vegetables.

I think there was always a Planning and Implementation Ministry (or Plan Implementation and Review) - They mostly planned to do as little as possible and was highly successful in that regard

Politics is at play here. In order to outflank the JVP and the UNP ministerial appointments are made. This is necessary to strengthen the MR coalition. Make fun of it, but what are MR's choices? In Canada, under pressure from parliamentary politics there have been defections. However, as it is a more stable country, there are only 20 or so cabinet members. But, it the country became unstable, there will be many more deal such as in Sri Lanka.


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Do not start a war, unless it is already won...

Political Observer wrote:

Politics is at play here. In order to outflank the JVP and the UNP ministerial appointments are made. This is necessary to strengthen the MR coalition. Make fun of it, but what are MR's choices? In Canada, under pressure from parliamentary politics there have been defections. However, as it is a more stable country, there are only 20 or so cabinet members. But, it the country became unstable, there will be many more deal such as in Sri Lanka.

this happens all the time in Ind. strange bedfellows, partners come together to prop up govts both at state and central levels, sustain power for the 5 ridiculous years. But usually they come together with a 'common minimum programme'.  this is to avoid the exaggerated costs of re-election, re-campaigning etc. if 20 dummy ministries are created and jumbo cabinet is formed and if this keeps
the govt floating with a minimum program acceptable to all the weirdo partners, then it should be okay ( rather than have these buffoons start the same drama again ).. usually some of the folks who joined the 'coalition' in 'nation's interest!' stay outside the govt ( they dont' want the blame if sth goes wrong ) and stay away from any ministries. there are even some comical situations where a state chief minister would round up all his colleagues and husk them off to a
resort fortress so that no one gets chance to defect, bought out etc. before a vote of confidence or such problem is anticipated.

bottomline - coalition govts can be a boon too - more stability, 'managed' polarity, common minimum programs etc.



Last edited by rm7000 on Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:26 pm; edited 1 time in total

Political Observer wrote:

Politics is at play here. In order to outflank the JVP and the UNP ministerial appointments are made. This is necessary to strengthen the MR coalition. Make fun of it, but what are MR's choices? In Canada, under pressure from parliamentary politics there have been defections. However, as it is a more stable country, there are only 20 or so cabinet members. But, it the country became unstable, there will be many more deal such as in Sri Lanka.

Political Observer:
I don't dispute your reasoning. If Sri Lanka has become unstable and our politicians (who are citizens of Sri Lanka) are truly worried and concerned about bringing peace and stability to the country, regardless of their party affiliations, they should support the incumbent president without demanding portfolios. It is obvious that these UNP defectors joined the government, not for the love of the country but to grab lucrative and powerful positions.

I am surprised that Political Observer has attempted to justify the XXL cabinet. The cabinet does not rule the country. Its work is coordinated/managed by the PM as per directions from the President.

Looking at the past record of our politicians one can safely say that SL lacks good politicians who can manage/coordinate even a standard size cabinet. Very soon, this XXL cabinet will be out of control and the country will further sink into the mess.

PO has also justified politics at play and praised MR for being clever. Once again, looking back, we had a master politician at the helm for a time (so cunning that he was referred to as 'the old fox'). As the Leader of the Opposition, he reduced the then government to nothing and as the government leader he reduced parliamentary opposition to nothing. In the absence of an effective parliamentary opposition, extra-parliamentary opposition prospered in the country in the form of terrorism, first the LTTE then the JVP.

Is the country better off today due to the type of politics JR played? Can we sincerely congratulate him on the legacy he has left? Or, do we all curse him today with one voice for the mess that he left?

In plain terms, the cabinet posts offered to the UNPers were bribes. Taking a bribe, as well as giving a bribe, is wrong.


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"I do not suffer from Autism, but I do suffer from the way you treat me." -Tyler Durdin

KKK123 wrote:
"In plain terms, the cabinet posts offered to the UNPers were bribes. Taking a bribe, as well as giving a bribe, is wrong."

You are absolutely right.

proximus wrote:

"Supplementary Crops" is probably the Ministry for growing the raw material for Poonac ? Negombo, this should be a good thing, no ? -

Poonac is directly made from coconut. After extracting the coconut oil, the left over is poonac. So growing raw material for poonac comes under Minister of Coconut Development.
Probably 'Minister for Poonac (to provide to voters)' would sound better.  

Political Observer wrote:

Politics is at play here. In order to outflank the JVP and the UNP ministerial appointments are made. This is necessary to strengthen the MR coalition. Make fun of it, but what are MR's choices?

The only soul in this forum who supports XXL cabinet. (kkk borrowed your terminology)
PO, is your surname "Rajapakse"?

Velusumana wrote:

If more UNPers or other party MPs join govt some nore ministries have to be created. For example, Prabha may ask TNA to join govt.

Some suggestions to create new ministries :

1) Ministry of Teledramas and FM channels
2) Ministry of 3 wheelers, bicycles and bullock carts
3) Ministry of Domestic Tourism
4) Ministry of Wirawila Airport Development
5) Ministry of Abductions and Attacking Rallies
6) Ministry of Anti-Mosquito Affairs

we will need just a few more, for the 13 govt MPs currently without portfolios, my suggestions:

ministry of staplers and staples
ministry of paper clips
ministry of ink cartridges


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"The degree of one's emotion varies inversely with one's knowledge of the facts - the less you know the hotter you get." -- Bertrand Russell