M A I N   N E W S

Ranil to take oath as Lanka PM today

Colombo, December 8
The United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will be sworn in tomorrow as Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, his party sources said here today.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga held a long discussion with him on his appointment as Prime Minister and the composition of the Cabinet, the sources said.

The rest of the Cabinet is likely to be finalised after Mr Wickremesinghe takes the oath of office, as under the constitution, the other ministers are appointed in consultation with the Prime Minister.

Party sources said the discussion was held in a cordial atmosphere, but no official details were available. PTI

Khonglam sworn in CM of Meghalaya

Shillong, December 8
Dr Flinder Anderson Khonglam was sworn in the new Meghalaya Chief Minister, the third since 1998 elections, at a function at Raj Bhavan here tonight. Along with him, 36 others, including 29 Ministers of Cabinet rank in the 60-member Assembly, were also administered the oath of office and secrecy by caretaker Governor Arvind Dave.

Mr D.D. Lapang (Congress) would be the Deputy Chief Minister. Mr Lapang was holding the same portfolio in the UDP-Congress coalition led by Mr B.B. Lyngdoh till March last year.

Dr Khonglam-led new People’s Forum of Meghalaya (PFM) government comprising Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress-led United Meghalaya Opposition Forum (UMOF) and Meghalaya United Democratic Party (MUDP) was the sixth government in the past three-and-half years. UNI