The Rajapaksa family in Sri Lanka have opposed cabinet elections | News of Sri Lanka

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appoints his brother Basil as finance minister, a combination of power between the ruling families.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed his younger brother Basil Rajapaksa as finance minister, which has boosted the couple’s resilience on the island.

Basil on Thursday was sworn in as a Member of Parliament and took over the finance ministry from Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also his older brother.

Basil, a US-Sri Lankan citizen, according to the DPA, oversees key institutions in the country, including the Treasury and the Central Bank under his supervision.

Mahinda was given another job as Minister of Finance and Planning, according to the President’s media group.

In addition to the recent changes, Gotabaya’s brother, Chamal, is the Minister of Irrigation and the Minister of Defense.

Mahinda’s son, Namal, is the Minister of Youth and Sports.

Gotabaya and his brother Mahinda won parliamentary elections last year, giving the couple the power to change the island’s constitution.

Mahinda was the President of the country from 2005 to 2015, holding two consecutive positions and took over the first position after winning the 2020 election.

Sri Lanka’s ruling Podujana Peramuna (People’s Party) has predicted that Basil will run in the next general election.

Sri Lankan tourists are battling the coronavirus epidemic.

On Thursday, the total confirmed COVID-19 exposure in the country increased to 268,676 and the death toll was 3,351, according to a Ministry of Health survey.