Apr 29, Colombo: The newly elected Chief Minister of the Western Provincial Council Prasanna Ranatunga is to be sworn in next week, the government today said.

Ranatunga will take oaths as Western Province Chief Minister before the President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a special function scheduled to be held at Temple Trees on May 04.

Prasanna Ranatunga received the highest preferential votes at the WPC polls held last Saturday.

He is the younger brother of former Sri Lanka Test cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga and a son of late government Minister Reggie Ranatunga.

Meanwhile government sources said that Provincial Ministries will be allocated on the basis of the districts, two to the Colombo District and one each to Kalutara and Gampaha districts.