Sri Lanka's new cabinet: Four ministers sworn in

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday swore in four ministers to the new cabinet, hours after cabinet ministers tendered their resignations amidst a severe economic and political crisis in the nation, Xinhua reported.

Officials from the President's Office said that former Justice Minister Ali Sabry was sworn in as the new Finance Minister while G.L. Peiris was sworn in as the Foreign Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena as the Education Minister and Johnston Fernando as the Highways Minister.

In the coming days, more ministers will be sworn in if the opposition parties agree to form a united government, said government officials.

Sri Lanka has for days been facing public protests calling for immediate measures to be taken by the government to solve the economic crisis, hours-long power cuts and shortages in fuel and other essential supplies.

Sri Lanka's cabinet ministers offered to resign from their positions on Sunday night in response to calls from increasing protests amid economic instability and a severe fuel shortage in the South Asian country.

On Monday, President Rajapaksa extended an invitation to all political parties to join the government to find solutions to the ongoing crisis.

-- BERNAMA