UNP informs President to remove Wijeyadasa

• UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim releases statement on Executive Council decision 

 United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Kabir Hasim yesterday said his party’s leadership has informed the President to remove Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. 

Releasing a statement, Hashim, who also holds the public enterprise development ministerial portfolio, said the decision had been made by the Executive Council of the UNP after Rajapakshe repeatedly disregarded a request by the party to rectify a statement he had made regarding a Cabinet decision. 

The statement did not give the details of what the Cabinet decision was but recent events indicate it alluded to the statement made by Rajapakshe that he would work to reverse the Hambantota Port deal with a Chinese State-run company even though it was approved by Cabinet. 

“There was a unanimous decision that Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe should be given till Monday to rectify a previous statement he had made regarding a statement made on a Cabinet decision. Not only has he failed to do that but over the weekend has made additional statements criticising other ministers and Government policy. Therefore, since Rajapakshe has failed to act in accordance with the decision made by the UNP Executive Council, the party leadership has notified the President to remove him from all Cabinet positions,” the statement said. 

He added that the decision of the Executive Council had also been discussed with party Chairman Malik Samarawickrama following the Executive Council meeting last Thursday.