Grapevine is abuzz with rumours that President Maithripala Sirisena will do his first Cabinet reshuffle this week, ending months of speculation. 

 

The government first tried to shuffle its Cabinet in January. It got postponed due to differences of opinion among key members of the government representing the United National Party and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. 

 

The UNP, at that point, said it was vehemently opposed to any Cabinet reshuffle. 

 

In April, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe gave his consent to President Sirisena proceed with the reshuffle. However, the process hit a snag again with some ministers representing the UNP refusing to step down from their current positions. 

 

The President, speaking to media heads and newspaper editors two weeks ago, said, a reshuffle would happen before the Vesak festival in May.

 

With only two days away from Vesak, multiple government sources confirmed that the Cabinet reshuffle was certain. 

 

"I am not sure whether it will happen before Vesak. But, something will happen this week," a senior Cabinet Minister, a close ally of President Sirisena, told Asian Mirror. 

 

He said the government was now working on the "nitty-grittie" relating to the reshuffle.