The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday (25) stated that they have no knowledge of any impending Cabinet reshuffle, despite reports that one would take place once President Ranil Wickremesinghe returns to the island today (26). 

It was recently reported that the President, who was on an official visit to the United Kingdom and France, is expected to reshuffle the Cabinet of Ministers in the coming days due to disappointing reports from certain ministries, as well as the failure of some ministers to perform to the expected level. It was also reported that a few more ministerial positions were expected to be given to SLPP MPs.

When contacted by The Daily Morning on whether there will be a reshuffle, or if the party had engaged in discussions seeking one, the SLPP General Secretary, MP Sagara Kariyawasam said: "These rumours are spread by various parties. There has been no discussion between us (SLPP) and President Wickremesinghe on such a matter, and we have not been informed of any preparation either."

Kariyawasam had earlier said that they were expecting the President to appoint a new Cabinet of Ministers with more Ministries being given to whom he called 'real SLPPers'. "From the beginning, our request to the President was to appoint a new Cabinet with more Ministries being given to real SLPPers, but he prefers to go with the final Cabinet of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. That does not mean that our request is invalid," Kariyawasam said on an earlier occasion.

Wickremesinghe, who entered the Parliament through National List, was initially functioning as an Opposition MP. However, in mid-2022, he was appointed as the Prime Minister in the face of massive protests against then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the SLPP-led Government. He was thereafter elected as the President with the majority support of the SLPP in a parliamentary vote held following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the presidency in July 2022. Wickremesinghe did not dissolve the Cabinet appointed by his precedent and instead, made some changes to it from time to time.