21 March 2018 08:47 pm
The NCM containing 55 signatures was handed over to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya by JO leader Dinesh Gunawardana at the Speaker’s office. However, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and several SLFP Ministers had not signed the motion, Speaker's office media release said.
Minister Senaratne added that even the SLFP Ministers themselves who talked for, campaigned and supported the NCM would see it difficult to remain in the Yahapalana Government Cabinet with Mr. Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister.
Addressing the weekly Cabinet news briefing yesterday, Minister Senaratne said the Yahapalana Government came to power on a mandate given by the people not to continue the policies and schemes of the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime but to implement the policies and fulfil the pledges given by President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and the United National Front at two elections in 2015.
“A number of SLFP Ministers campaigned for months and in particular after the LG polls to remove Mr. Wickremesinghe from the premiership that culminated by bringing a NCM against him. The problem is whether they could sit in the same Cabinet with Mr. Wickremesinghe as the head and with those who stood with Mr. Wickremesinghe right throughout. Therefore, we have no choice but to reconsider maintainability of a Cabinet with two groups of Ministers having extremely opposing and dissenting views,” he said.
The Yahapalana Government did not intend to rule the country any further while Cabinet members quarrelling and criticizing each other and it is obvious that a different, more efficient, productive and results-oriented governance must be in place to meet the pledges given to the people in 2015.
As such, the UNP would work out a different administration and a political set up in the near future for the remaining period of the good governance. The UNP working committee will take the final decision on the new political set up shortly, Minister Senaratne emphasized. (Sandun A Jayasekera)