President Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday said that retired career services diplomat Dr. John Gunaratne would take over the Peace Secretariat. Gunaratne, who served the Secretariat headed by Ambassador Bernard Tillekeratne and subsequently Jayantha Dhanapala, who recently quit the post citing personal reasons, is expected to take over the high profile assignment shortly.
The President made this announcement at the first Cabinet meeting at the old Parliament immediately after the swearing in of the Cabinet of Ministers. Party sources said that Rajapakse also said that he would summon an all-party-conference to discuss the peace process. The sources said that the Cabinet also decided to provide farmers with heavily subsidised fertiliser at 350 rupees a bag. Rajapakse also appointed a Cabinet Sub Committee, headed by Agriculture Minister Maithripala Sirisena, to finalise the fertliser subsidy. The committee includes Investments and Enterprise Development Minister Rohitha Bogollagama Vocational and Technical Training Minister Piyasena Gamage and Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B.Jayasundera. Party sources said that Bogollagama who switched allegiance over a year ago had been given a vital portfolio responsible for the BOI. (