Four SLFP Ministers resign

SLFP Parliamentarians Dilan Perera, C.B. Rathnayake, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Pavithra Wanniarachchi have resigned from their respective ministerial portfolios.

They announced the decision at a press conference held in Colombo this morning.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, State Minister of Housing and Samurdhi Dilan Perera, State Minister of Public Administration & Democratic Governance C.B. Rathnayake and State Minister of Environment Pavithra Wanniarachchi were sworn in on March 22 along with 22 other MPs.

Pointing out that three reasons were behind their move, Mr. Perera referred to the decision to allow the term of 234 local bodies to get lapsed on May 15 and hand over the administration to special commissioners; “ridiculous criticism” of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe against the Supreme Court’s ruling of staying the arrest of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and adjourning the case till October 6, and “partiality” shown to SLFP Members of Parliament in the release of money under the MPs’ constituency development fund.

Mr. Perera replied in the negative when asked whether they would take back their resignation in the event of President Maithripala Sirisena’s intervention.

He expressed the hope that Mr. Sirisena and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would come together and face the electorate during the coming Parliamentary polls.