Colombo, May 26: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga today expanded her cabinet by naming a former premier as de facto Defence Minister and inducting two more ministers. Former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake was made deputy defence minister in addition to two full cabinet portfolios of public security, law and order and Buddhist affairs, a presidential spokesman said.
With Kumaratunga holding the defence portfolio, it is the deputy minister who will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the security forces.
The secretary of Sri Lanka's Communist Party, D E W Gunasekara was sworn in as the minister of constitutional affairs while university academic Vishwa Warnapala was made Deputy minister of foreign affairs.
The latest induction of two new ministers raises to 37 the number of ministers in the cabinet and it was also the second cabinet expansion since the new leftist government came to power following the April 2 elections.
The cabinet also has four members from the Marxist JVP, or People's Liberation Front. Bureau Report