Following the Supreme Court’s upholding of disciplinary proceedings against them, two government ministers who had defected from Sri Lanka’s main opposition were removed from their positions in the cabinet on Friday.The decision was made in front of the next presidential elections, which will mark the first democratic process since the historic economic crisis of 2022, which ousted former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa after months of unrest.
Manusha Nanayakkara, the minister of labor, and Harin Fernando, the minister of tourism, have shifted sides to support President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is getting ready for the vote on September 21.
A blow for Wickremesinghe occurred when the court on Friday confirmed the suspension of the ministers’ membership by their old party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). This required the two to resign from the parliament and cabinet.
“I accept the decision of the court,” Fernando told reporters after the decision. “I am glad I had the opportunity to work for the people.”
Nanayakkara also said he did not regret joining the government.
When Sri Lanka ran out of foreign currency for necessities, it filed for bankruptcy in April 2022, defaulting on its $46 billion foreign debt.
According to Wickremesinghe, he intends to carry out his austerity measures—which include raising taxes and reducing subsidies for energy—during another term in office.
Along with maintaining the $2.9 billion IMF bailout that Wickremesinghe agreed last year, Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, two other front-runners, vow they will cut taxes and stop privatization.
