Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena has been granted the power to choose the leader of the opposition and cabinet ministers from members of the Sri Lankan Freedom Party (SLFP).
Following a meeting of the SLFP Central Committee today, it was decided that the president will also have the final say in appointing other key ministerial positions.
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.