Cabinet Reshuffle: Wimal, Udaya Out

 

A day after levelling strong criticism against the Government and Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, MPs Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila were sacked from their ministerial portfolios by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa with immediate effect yesterday (3). President’s Spokesman, Kingsley Ratnayake, said the President took this step in terms of the powers vested in him under Article 47 (2) (a) of the Constitution.

 Weerawansa’s Ministry of Industries was assigned to S.B. Dissanayake, while the Energy Ministry that was under the purview of Gammanpila, was assigned to Gamini Lokuge. Pavithra Wanniarachchi, who was Minister of Transport, was sworn in as Minister of Power. 

Meanwhile, State Minister Dilum Amunugama is likely to be sworn in as the Minister of Transport today (4). Speaking to Ceylon Today, Amunugama said he was asked to be present at the Presidential Secretariat at 11:30 a.m.

 In response to the removal, Gammanpila said the President has “sent him to the people and he can rise with them once again.” 

Weerawansa, who posted his dismissal letter on Facebook, captioned it “Thank You.”