UNP decides not to work with SLFP Ministers who voted for NCM
Cabinet reshuffle to be decided this week:
SLFP Ministers want to shed portfolios; sit in Opposition:
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe led a UNP delegation for late night talks with President Sirisena at the latter’s Paget Road residence yesterday, to reach a consensus on how to work together in the aftermath of the divisive no-faith vote last week.
Accompanying the Premier to the meeting were UNP Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Malik Samarawickrema, Vajira Abeywardane and Kabir Hashim. The two leaders decided that a cabinet reshuffle would take place next week.
The talks ended positively with both leaders keen to find a way to work together again to fulfill outstanding promises of their 2015 mandate, highly placed sources told Sunday Observer. It was the second meeting between President Sirisena and the Prime Minister on the future of the coalition since last week’s no-confidence vote.
On the heels victory at the No Confidence vote, a majority of the UNP Parliamentary Group has decided that its members can no longer work with SLFP Ministers who voted against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last Wednesday, while also expressing willingness to continue governing in cohabitation with the SLFP members who abstained from the crucial legislative vote.
The UNP MP group reached agreement on how to move forward as a coalition with the SLFP at a marathon eight hour meeting at Temple Trees, where the party also discussed internal reforms and a restructure of the party hierarchy.
The decision came as 16 SLFP Ministers wrote to President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday, requesting that they be permitted to relinquish their ministerial portfolios and function as opposition MPs.
“The President has not yet responded to our formal request and we also hope to discuss this matter at tomorrow’s SLFP Central Committee meeting,” Minister Jayasekara told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
When asked if other SLFP Ministers in the Government who abstained from voting for the no confidence motion had also decided to quit their portfolios, Jayasekera said he was not aware of any such decision by them.
Meanwhile, UPFA General Secretary and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told the Sunday Observer that the President has not yet taken any decision to remove SLFP members who supported the NCM from their ministerial portfolios.
Disciplinary action against them was unwarranted, since President Sirisena had been informed beforehand of their decision to vote in support of the JO’s no faith motion, Minister Amaraweera said.
Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera, who voted against the Prime Minister last Wednesday, told Sunday Observer that the group had written to the President but were yet to get a response to their letter.
The NCM against the PM was defeated in Parliament last Wednesday with 122 votes against and only 76 votes being cast in favor. Among the SLFP Ministers who voted in favour of the NCM were SB Dissanayake, Dayasiri Jayasekera, John Seneviratne, Lakshman Wasantha Perera, Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Tharanath Basnayake, Dilan Perera, Susantha Punchinilame, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Susil Premajayantha, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Chandima Weerakkody, Sumedha Jayasena and Anuradha Jayaratne.