Minister blasted the president for not consulting the cabinet

Minister for Rural and Small Industrial Development KD Lal Kantha said the bodies appointed by the president are not accountable for Sri Lanka's public as they do not represent ministers or elected members of parliament.

Speaking to journalists in Anuradhapura the minister said that the country does not have a leadership that can steer the country out of the disaster.

The minister, a senior leader of the government's coalition partner Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), blasted the president for not consulting the cabinet of ministers in appointing these committees.

PM "democratic"

He said Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse acted democratically during the first two days after the tidal wave disaster, but as soon as President Kumaratunga returned from the UK, everything changed.

Tara De Mel heads one post- tsunami reconstruction committee

"Neither the cabinet nor the political parties in the government have been consulted in appointing these committees."

Minister Lal Kantha questioned as to how the government can work together with the opposition while its coalition partners cannot work united.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga repeatedly called for a united front, irrespective of political differences, to reconstruct the post tsunami Sri Lanka.

First cabinet meeting

The Tamil Tigers also on Saturday expressed their willingness to work together with the government to reconstruct the shattered areas.

But the minister said there was no consultative process at all within the government.

First cabinet  The first post-tsunami cabinet meeting chaired by the president did not even have tsunami on its agenda Minister Lal Kantha

"The first post-tsunami cabinet meeting chaired by the president did not even have tsunami on its agenda."

The JVP leader said although some ministers were successful in getting appointed a cabinet sub-committee for post-disaster management, the committee never met again.

"We think this should be discussed once again in the cabinet as a matter of priority."

The minister said the JVP expect the situation could change but wanted to inform the country that the government cannot take the responsibility for the current programme conducted by "leaders at the top".