Wimal: We were sacked at the behest of BR

By Shamindra Ferdinando

National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday (02) claimed that he and Udaya Gammanpila, had been sacked at the behest of Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

Addressing the media at Cinnamon Grand, Colombo former Industries Minister Weerawansa alleged that the announcement as regards their sacking was made in the wake of the Finance Minister declaring he wouldn’t attend cabinet meetings if they remained ministers.

Flanked by MP Gammanpila and Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara, who declared he wouldn’t perform ministerial duties or attend Cabinet meetings but remained a minister, lawmaker Weerawansa claimed that the President succumbed to the pressure exerted by the family. A smiling Weerawansa said that he didn’t regret his removal from the Cabinet. “We don’t have any dispute with the President,” the former JVP heavyweight said.

At the beginning of his speech, lawmaker Weerawansa alleged that they had been on a collision course with Basil Rajapaksa even before the acceptance of wartime Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the SLPP candidate for the 2019 presidential election. The former minister alleged that Basil Rajapaksa dreamt of being the SLPP presidential candidate. However, they felt Gotabaya Rajapaksa should be their candidate in case Mahinda Rajapaksa didn’t contest, MP Weerawansa said, adding that at the end Basil Rajapaksa, too, had no option but to back his brother.

A smiling Udaya Gammanpila looks on as Wimal Weerawansa tears into the SLPP-led government (pic by Jude Denzil Pathiraja)

MP Weerawansa recalled how Basil Rajapaksa left the country in the wake of their defeat at the 2015 presidential election. Basil Rajapaksa wanted Mahinda Rajapaksa to name him as the Opposition Leader, MP Weerawansa said, adding that the then SLFP National Organizer left thecountry when his request was turned down.

MP Weerawansa claimed that the issue had affected the government and the Cabinet as well. MP Weerawansa said that the government had been divided over the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, the crisis over the proposed handing over of the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port and the agreement with the US-based New Fortress Energy company due to the position taken by Basil Rajapaksa.

MP Weerawansa said that their repeated efforts to convince the government of the urgent need to take remedial measures to address the extremely dicey situation had been conveniently ignored or played down. The former minister said that they couldn’t have just kept quiet as the situation continued to deteriorate.

The Colombo District MP explained how Basil Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the SLPP founder exercised his political authority over all. The SLPP has been used as private property by Basil Rajapaksa, MP Weerawansa said, acknowledging that though he could understand key positions being held by unknown persons at the onset of the SLPP’s journey following the last general election proper appointments should have been made.

The former Minister said that they had been sacked for submitting some proposals to overcome the current challenges faced by the country. If those who wielded political power felt that sacking them would be the solution to the current crisis, they accepted that decision, the MP said. Perhaps the powers that be felt that they were responsible for the crisis and their removal would result in the country receiving an ample amount of US Dollars, an uninterrupted fuel supply and an end to power cuts.