6 February 2020 05:23 pm
Cabinet spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardana said today President Gotabaya Rajapaksa takes the full responsibility of Cabinet decisions and government’s performance and therefore would prefer to personally chair all cabinet meetings.
Asked by the Daily Mirror as to why he did not ask his elder brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to hold the cabinet meeting in his absence when he visited Singapore last week for a medical check up, Minister Gunawardana said President Rajapaksa rather likes to preside over all cabinet meetings and be appraised of the proceedings.
The dialogue between Minister Gunawardanan and the Daily Mirror ensued as follows:
Daily Mirror: Former President Maithripala Sirisena never entrusted the task to hold cabinet meetings to his Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe when the President went abroad. We can understand that as there was a Mongoose – Cobra like rivalry between them. But former President Chandrika Kumaratunga had instructed her Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka to chair cabinet meetings in her absence. Why Gotabaya did not ask his elder brother Mahinda to hold the cabinet meeting when he was away? Does not he have any confidence in his brother?
Minister Gunawardana: Not at all. That is his style of governance. There is no fear among Rajapaksas.
Daily Mirror: Anyhow, why the Cabinet meeting was not held last week?
Minister Gunawardana: That is because President Rajapaksa wants to know what was going on at the cabinet meeting first hand. He thinks, if there was no emergency or important national issue to address immediately in his absence, there is no need to hold the cabinet meeting.
For instance, I cannot hold the cabinet news briefing with confidence and answer your questions with responsibility if I did not attend the cabinet meeting. I would not attend the cabinet news briefing if I could not attend the cabinet meeting. (Sandun A Jayasekera)