Lohan Ratwatte leaves JO’s Shadow Cabinet

A day after the Joint Opposition announced its members’ names for the newly formed Shadow Cabinet, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Kandy district MP Lohan Ratwatte who was named Shadow Minister of Planning and Water Supply has decided to resign his portfolio.

Ratwatte claimed he was not aware of such an appointment before it had been made. His resignation followed former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision to resign as shadow Prime Minister. 

He had already requested Parliamentarian Dallas Alahapperuma, who was appointed as the Minister of Education in the Shadow Cabinet, to remove his name from the members list.

Ratwatte said that forming a Shadow Cabinet was not really necessary at the moment, adding that it was kind of a joke. 

The Joint Opposition declared its Shadow Cabinet on Thursday and gathered the same day afternoon in the Parliamentary premises where MPs were given various ministerial positions.

The Shadow Cabinet was to closely monitor the activities of their Government counterparts - ministers relevant to their appointment - and comprises 50 members.