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Another party leaders’ meeting today

11 Jul 2022

  • Five Cabinet ministers already resigned
BY P. Waravita  Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has convened another party leaders’ meeting to be held this afternoon (11), even as five Cabinet Ministers have already announced their resignations following the massive people’s demonstrations last Saturday (9).  The Speaker’s office confirmed to The Morning yesterday (10) that an all party leaders’ meeting is scheduled for this afternoon. An emergency meeting was convened last Saturday evening, which included Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe.  In a letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa following the meeting, Abeywardena said that four key proposals were decided upon by the party representatives: The immediate resignation of the President and Premier; convening Parliament within seven days for a consensus on the next acting President; establishing an all-party, interim Cabinet with a new Prime Minister; and calling for an election.  “In addition, alternative proposals were presented by the Prime Minister: The President resigns immediately and the Prime Minister becomes acting President and all the parties then unite and an interim Government is formed under the leadership of a new Prime Minister; or both the President and the Prime Minister resign, appoint a representative from the Parliament as Acting President, then appoint a new Prime Minister by all-party consensus, form an interim Government and give the opportunity to form a new Government within a specified period,” the letter continued.  Last Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people descended upon the “GotaGoGama” protest site at Galle Face Green, where they ultimately took over the Presidential Secretariat, the official residence of the President and Temple Trees – the official residence of the Prime Minister. The three buildings remain occupied, with key protestors stating that they would remain occupied until President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official resignation, which Abeywardena has stated will happen on Wednesday (13).  Following the storming of the official buildings on Saturday, Minister of Mass Media, Transport, and Highways and Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Bandula Gunawardena announced his resignation from his portfolios and from his membership of the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP). Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando and Minister of Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara, both crossovers from the main Parliamentary opposition Samagi Jana Balawegeya (SJB), announced their resignations from their ministerial positions soon after.  Yesterday, Minister of Investment Promotion Dhammika Perera, who entered Parliament last month through the SLPP National List and only held his portfolio for 16 days, announced his resignation. Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, a member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), has also stated that he would resign from his position.


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