Minister Kanchana Wijesekara says that Ministers Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando are in the current problematic situation as a result of them putting the country before their political party.

Posting on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) after the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding their expulsion from the party was delivered, Minister Wijesekara stated that not many would have put their political careers and their Parliamentary membership on the line for the country’s national agenda, knowing this outcome.

“The Supreme Court today gave an order in terms of the law of the country and the constitution of the SJB”, he added. 

Furthermore, Wijesekara said: “Both Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara extended their support to President Ranil Wickremesinghe at a very critical time of the country. They both put their political careers on the line knowing this outcome in the hour of need.” 

He also expressed that no one can take away the work both did towards the recovery of the economy and the country, adding that tourism and foreign employment earnings and numbers speaks volumes of their hard work in the last two years.

“Before they joined the Government I have had many political battles on different political and policy views and opinions with the both of them. Not many would have put their political careers and their Parliament membership on the line for the country’s national agenda. They put the country before their political party”, he added while expressing his gratitude to the fellow ministers.

The Supreme Court ruled this morning (09) that the decision taken by the SJB to suspend the party membership of Ministers Manush Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando was lawful while dismissing a petition filed by the two ministers seeking an order declaring that the SJB’s decision to remove them from the party is unlawful.

On July 18, 2023, the Working Committee of the SJB decided to expel party members Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara from the party. In May 2022, the SJB had suspended the party membership of the two parliamentarians after they had accepted ministerial portfolios in the government while the party had vowed to take disciplinary action against them.