国际英语新闻:Sri Lankan president appoints non-cabinet, state, deputy ministers

COLOMBO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Three non-cabinet, 17 state and seven deputy ministers were sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena Friday evening, a statement from the President's Media Division (PMD) said Saturday.

According to the PMD, Harsha De Silva was sworn in as the non-cabinet minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution, Sujeewa Senasinghe as the non-cabinet minister of Science, Technology and Research and Ajith Perera as the non-cabinet minister of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology.

Key state ministers included Eran Wickramaratne who was sworn in as the state minister of finance and Ranjith Aluwihare was sworn in as the state minister of tourism development.

The new appointments were made a day after Sirisena appointed a new 30-member cabinet, including himself who will function as the head of the cabinet.

The appointment of the new cabinet is expected to end a two-month long political crisis in the country.

Sri Lanka plunged into a political turmoil on Oct. 26 when Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with a strongman.

Wickremesinghe was reinstated as prime minister on Sunday.