Deputy Ministers, Ministry Secretaries To Be Shuffled Soon; But Time-line Is Still A Question Mark

Several Deputy Ministers and Ministry Secretaries will be replaced within the next two weeks, informed government sources said. 

A few ministers who attended the swearing in ceremony of the new ministers said that President Maithripala Sirisena made an assurance to change several Deputy Ministers.

They said the changes would be made after the President's return from Australia. 

However, government sources also added that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would leave for the United States soon after the President's return from Australia. 

As a result, there is a sense of confusion around the time-frame of the next reshuffle. 

Meanwhile, it is learnt that several Ministry Secretaries too will be changed, in tandem with the Cabinet reshuffle. Among them is Nimal Bopage, Secretary of the Ministry of Media and Parliamentary Reforms. 

Media Ministry was merged with the Finance Ministry at the Cabinet reshuffle and they were put under Minister Mangala Samaraweera.