Why wait till end of elections to reduce Ministers –Ranil asks President – are you trying to fool or cool the people or both?
Mar 3, 2010
Addressing the UNP Puttalam District convention on the 1st, Opposition and UNF leader Ranil Wickremesinghe challenged the President who promises to reduce the Ministers from the colossal 112 to 35 after the Gen. elections to prove his mettle by reducing it within this week. What was the obstruction that militated against the President to wait so long to think of reducing the Ministers ?. Even at this belated stage , he has not practically done it , but only thinks about it – making unbelievable promises, he added.

The former President Premadasa set an example by reducing the Cabinet of Ministers before the Elections . Why cant President Rajapakse too do it ? he asked. The Govt. is spending over Rs. 30 million to maintain this Jumbo cabinet at the expense of the people who are in dire financial straits.

Every Minister is enjoying all the best of luxuries and perks while the people are not having the basic necessities to eke out a living. Each Minister has more than five Vehicles. To run his Office he has employed excessive staff who are all paid out of people’s funds .On top of all this , they have increased their salaries by a lakh.

It is the President’s duty to show his gratitude to the people who bore all the sufferings during the war when the Govt. went on imposing hardships and burdens blaming on the war . Now , after the war has ended , the best way he can discharge this duty is by curtailing the number of Ministers in the massive Cabinet , and diverting the savings in millions by that curtailment towards alleviating people’s burdens, Ranil pointed out.

Courtesy: UNP Media