Harin and Manusha’s ministries brought under President’s purview

A Gazette notification has been issued bringing the Ministry of Tourism and Lands, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and the Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment under the purview of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

This move comes following the recent removal of Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando from their MP seats, as per a court order.

The Supreme Court ruled on Friday (09) that the decision taken by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) to suspend the party membership of 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.

As per the Supreme Court verdict and SJB’s constitution, Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara were disqualified from holding seats in Parliament.

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.