Will Kumara Jayakody’s resignation trigger a Cabinet reshuffle?

Colombo, April 20 (Daily Mirror) - A Cabinet reshuffle becomes inevitable if President Anura Kumara Dissanayake picks someone from the current board of Ministers to fill the Energy Ministry portfolio that fell vacant after the resignation of Kumara Jayakody from the post.

Mr. Jayakody, along with Ministry Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala, resigned from office in the wake of mounting criticism over the alleged fraud in the import of coal for power generation at the Lakvijaya power plant. He announced in writing that he resigned, paving the way for an independent investigation into the allegations. The President has appointed a commission to probe alleged fraud and irregularities in coal purchases starting from 2009.

The government is yet to assign the energy portfolio to any Cabinet Minister. An informed source said that the government is currently holding discussions on the appointment of a new Minister. The source said that there would not be a Cabinet reshuffle otherwise scheduled at the moment.

A Cabinet reshuffle is, however, unavoidable if someone from the current Cabinet is picked for the post.

“If someone from the current Cabinet is chosen for the post, it will trigger a minor reshuffle, as portfolios have to be swapped between the two,” the source said.

A similar change in the Cabinet took place when Ministers Bimal Rathnayake and Anura Karunatilake swapped their portfolios.

The government is insistent that Mr. Jayakody has not committed any fraud in the import of coal.