Deputy Minister Manusha Nanayakkara has resigned from his ministerial portfolio and pledged support to UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

This was announced by MP Harin Fernando at a press conference held at Temple Trees in Colombo today (6).

Manusha Nanayakkara was recently sworn in as the Deputy Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment before President Maithripala Sirisena, under the new government.

Fernando said that Nanayakkara has tendered his resignation which has been sent to the President and the Secretary to the ministry.

He said that Nanayakkara met with the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday and leaders of other parties in the alliance.

Fernando said that Nanayakkara was not attending the press briefing due to fears over his security and that instead he has recorded a video, which was played to the media during the briefing.

In the video, Nanayakkara says that staying true to his heart he cannot join or participate in the recent appointments made and the change in government, which he says was carried out unconstitutionally and in violation of the basic principles of good governance.

“Therefore I decided that at this moment to resign from the deputy minister post given to me and to safeguard parliamentary democracy which is what the country’s people who respect democracy and the majority of parliamentarians are requesting,” he said.

Manusha Nanayakkara’s letter of resignation is below: