Better if ministers resign before criticising collective Cabinet decisions -President

 

2021/12/28

 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday said it would have been better if ministers Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudeva Nanayakkara had resigned as ministers before challenging a collective Cabinet decision on the Yugadanavi power plast agreement.

President Rajapaksa said so during his meeting with newspaper editors at the President’s House in response to a question by an editor for his comments on Ministers Weerawansa, Gammanpila and Nanayakkara going before the Court with regard to the controversial Yugadanavi agreement with a US-based company. The President cited a ruling given by Justice Mark Fernando with regard to a case pertaining to a bid to impeach the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa.

Asked whether the three ministers would be sacked, the President said there was no need to do so.

Responding to a question on gas leak explosions, the President said: I do not see the gas explosions as incidents that occurred only under this government. There were reports of similar incidents since three years ago. What is not clear is as to how these incidents got such media publicity in this manner. Gas stocks are imported separately and they are checked for their content composition from time to time. Something has gone wrong, though. The chemical that gives out a strong smell warning of gas leaks has not been added in sufficient amounts.

“I admit that there has also been a mistake with regard to the fertiliser issue. The content of the Chinese fertilizer stock should have been tested before the issuance of the letter of credit to import them. The importing process had been started after the opening the letter of credit. After that the payment for the stock should be made. If not it would lead to an international issue,” the President said.

Commenting on some ministers criticising Presidential Secretary Dr PN Jayasundara, the President said that it was wrong for the ministers to do so.