President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has made several changes to Cabinet ministerial portfolios a short while ago.
The President has sacked Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila and appointed Gamini Lokuge as the new Minister of Energy.
Transport Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi has been appointed as the new Minister of Power, a portfolio previously held by Minister Gamini Lokuge.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has reportedly declined an invitation to accept the Industries Ministry portfolio.
Pro-Basil MPs call for SLPP rebels to kicked out
A group of ministers have urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (03) to immediately remove Ministers Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudeva Nanayakkara from the Cabinet.
They made this request at a meeting of government parliamentarians held under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon (03).
During the meeting, some MPs have been critical of the Wimal Werawansa led constituent parties and pointed out that there is no way forward with the rebel group and suggested that they venture on a new path after stripping their cabinet portfolios.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Ministers Basil Rajapaksa, Bandula Gunawardena, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Sarath Weerasekara, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, and State Ministers Kanchana Wijesekera and Shehan Semasinghe, MPs Madura Withanage, Milan Jayathilaka and Kokila Gunawardena had taken part in the meeting,
According to sources, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had remained silent during the meeting.
Minister Wimal Weerawansa yesterday (02) launched a scathing attack on Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa over the way he has handled the economy during an event held yesterday where 11 political parties aligned to the government issued a policy statement to address Sri Lanka's crises.
