The Election Commission has decided to gazette the name of business tycoon Dhammika Perera as a Member of Parliament from Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

Earlier today, SLPP’s General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said Dhammika Perera’s name was sent to the Election Commission to fill the vacant National List parliamentary seat.

Dhammika Perera meanwhile obtained the membership of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna from the party’s general secretary after officially submitting his consent to accept parliamentary membership from SLPP.

He will fill the parliamentary seat left vacant following the resignation of former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa. Accordingly, he has stepped down from the board memberships of all his companies ahead of taking oaths as a Member of Parliament.

Earlier this week, sources told Ada Derana that Dhammika Perera is tipped to take up a ministerial portfolio related to the investment sector after entering the parliament through the SLPP.

Last night, a special gazette notification was published by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, creating two new portfolios titled Minister of Technology and Investment Promotion and Minister of Women, Child Affairs & Social Empowerment.

A total of 15 departments, statutory institutions and public corporations including the Department of Immigration and Emigration, Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), Department of Registration of Persons and Board of Investment have been listed under the Ministry of Technology and Investment Promotion.