In a situation where many Betel leaf Diyawanna members were in a mad scramble for portfolios, the new Big Boss found selecting a few suitable persons from among them for Ministerial office a challenging exercise.
However, there was one particular Diyawanna member whom he wanted to honour with a key portfolio whether the latter asked for it or not. His special choice was none other than the former Chair of the Diyawanna House, who remained simple and unassuming even in those days when his younger sibling was the uncrowned king in the country.
So the new Big Boss had invited the elder sibling to take over the Irrigation portfolio in the new Cabinet. The response he got from the simple sibling was something the new Big Boss had hardly expected. “Thank you very much for your kind offer,” the former Chair had replied. “We are now old people. Why don’t you offer this portfolio to a young member keen on getting a portfolio?”
The new Big Boss had then appealed to the former Chair to at least preside over the District Development Committee when it is formed.