North Western Provincial Chairman Dharmasiri Dassanayake and Western Provincial Councillor Isuru Dewapriya were appointed on Tuesday Chief Ministers of the two provinces, respectively.
Their appointment was made at a function at the official residence of President Maithripala Sirisena here. In the two provinces, the United People’s Freedom Alliance, led by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, is in power. The day’s development follows the election of Dayasiri Jayasekara and Prasanna Ranatunga to Parliament in the recent general elections.
Mr. Jayasekara has become Sports Minister in the Cabinet of the Central government.
The post of Chief Minister for the Uva province is lying vacant following Harin Fernando’s election as Member of Parliament and appointment as Telecommunication Minister in the Cabinet. Mr. Fernando became the Chief Minister after a section of the UPFA councillors defected to the UNP-led front after Mr Sirisena's victory in the Presidential election. Mr. Fernando succeeded Shasheendra Rajapaksa, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's nephew.
