Cabinet reshuffles: cure for pandemic?

Against the backdrop of a mini Cabinet reshuffle on Monday, State Minister Sashindra Rajapaksa has told media on Thursday that another reshuffle is on the cards. He had argued that changes need to be made yearly and some responsibilities have to be shared in order to progress efficiently.  

Only President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and sometimes Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa could be knowing the significance or at least the rationale behind the Monday’s mini Cabinet reshuffle which was announced at a time when the country was facing a perilous pandemic. And nobody seems to have taken much note of it and it was almost forgotten by Wednesday.  

Pavithra Wanniarachchi, who held the health portfolio, has been appointed the Transport Minister. Keheliya Rambukwella who held the media portfolio was given the Health Ministry. Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa has got another ministerial portfolio—Development Coordination and Supervision. Prof. G. L. Peiris, who held the education portfolio and Dinesh Gunawardena, who was the Foreign Minister have swapped their ministries. Gamini Lokuge, who was the Minister of Transport, has been made the Minister of Power. Dullas Alahapperuma was removed from the Power Ministry and made the Media Minister.  

It cannot be disputed that the COVID 19 pandemic is of the highest importance currently for the people and the government. Every effort we make and everything at our disposal must serve the purpose of containing the pandemic including minimizing deaths

Except for Pavithra Wanniarachchi no minister whose portfolio was changed seemed to be happy or unhappy, they seemed to be satisfied with a ministry, whatever it is, as ministerial portfolios in Sri Lanka are privileges with which huge facilities and perks are attached, rather than responsibilities. On the other hand, people too have nothing to be happy or worried with these changes as experience of past several decades have instilled in them an instinctive negative impression on ministers in respect of their capabilities, irrespective of their qualifications, qualities and 
track records.   

Wanniarachci may have an attachment with the Health Ministry as a huge importance was attached to it with the outbreak of COVID 19 in Sri Lanka few months after she took over it and she was also seen outranking many other ministers for the past few months, just because she was the minister in charge of health.  

What is interesting is that both the former and the present Health Ministers have reposed their faith in divine intervention in order to save the country from the COVID 19 pandemic. Wanniarachchi promoted the now famous Dhammika Peniya which was said to have imbued with the spirit of the Hindu Goddess Kali while Rambukwella had recently gone on record as praying for divine intervention apart from vaccination in order to save the people from COVID 19.  

Interestingly, the Health Ministry has been assigned to Rambukwella at a time when a pandemic is raging while there are several medical doctors, especially virologists in the government ranks such as Professor Tissa Vitharana who was head of Virology in the Medical Research Institute (MRI) for 22 years and an advisor to the World Health Organization on virology for years.  

All ministers and government officials, as a ritual give all the credit to the instruction by the President and the Prime Minister for any minor activity they carry out. If in fact it is the case, there is no way to weigh the credentials of a minister, as they seem to be not free to do anything under their watch or they are not capable to do anything without the instructions from the top. Thus, it becomes pointless to replace a minister with another, as no minister acts or has to act independently. And they cannot lay credit to any achievement under their watch or be criticized for any failure.  

Professor Peiris must be the happiest among the ministers whose portfolios were changed, since he had been relieved from the task of solving the salary anomalies of the teachers and the principals – an issue remaining unresolved for the past 24 years. Nevertheless, the new Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena too does not have to bother about the problem, as everything is done under instructions.  

Meanwhile the only MP representing the “Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya” Ven. Athureliye Rathana Thera had stated that what was needed not a Cabinet reshuffle, but to allocate Ministries on a scientific basis, which is true but never to be expected. In simple terms, what is meant by the term scientific cabinet is to put all relevant and related subjects together, before creating ministries. Prior to the 1977 Parliamentary election Sri Lanka had somewhat scientific Cabinets where transport and highways, education and higher education, land, agriculture and irrigation, finance and planning, sports and youth affairs, public administration and home affairs were brought under separate ministries.  

It was under President J.R.Jayewardene that the subjects under these ministries were divided haphazardly and various new ministries - some of which are hilarious - were created. Thus, land came under one minister while land development was assigned to another. There were three ministries for education - education, higher education and education services. A minister was appointed for coconut development apart from the plantation industries minister. There were three ministries for industries – industries, rural industries and industries development. 

 
Besides, it was President Jayewardene who appointed the state ministers for the first time, in addition to deputy ministers. He also created another new portfolio called district minister, increasing the number of ministers over hundred.   

The term “scientific Cabinet” was touted much during the Presidential and Parliamentary election in 2015 at which the so-called yahapalana government was voted into. Yet, the leaders of that government took some outrageous decision when assigning subjects to ministries. It was the only time when the Central Bank was taken away from the Finance Ministry. Leaders were at the height of their ludicrousness when they assigned national Lotteries Board and the Development Lotteries Board to the Foreign Ministry.   

Ministerial portfolios and bureaucratic posts are counted as privileges as well as favours and not as responsibilities in Sri Lanka. Therefore the ministries with huge financial dealings and institutions with large workforces are called “good” ministries. However, there have been ministers who had shown their colours by turning “bad” ministries such as labour and highways into “good” ministries.   

It cannot be disputed that the COVID 19 pandemic is of the highest importance currently for the people and the government. Every effort we make and everything at our disposal must serve the purpose of containing the pandemic including minimizing deaths. Efforts such as Cabinet reshuffles may be least effective in this endeavor, especially in the current set-up.