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Sri Lanka forms national government

Xinhua, March 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday formed a national government by uniting with the opposition, an official said here.

The president in a sudden swearing in ceremony appointed eleven new cabinet Ministers, five state ministers and ten deputy ministers at a event held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, on Sunday afternoon.

Health Minster and Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said that the government has decided to form a coalition with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), which is headed by Sirisena.

Sirisena was elected president in January backed by a coalition headed by the United National Party (UNP) whose leader is the prime minister.

Sirisena came into power promising wide ranging reforms including Constitutional amendments to reduce the authority of the presidency and devolve power to resolve a long running ethnic dispute.

"UNP-SLFP national government. This will be a historic decision, " the minister added.

Analysts believe the forming of a national government is to implement the promised reforms. The Sirisena administration had earlier promised parliamentary elections after 100 days but it is now unclear whether polls will be called by the end of April as earlier planned. Endi