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Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the resignation of Minister Ravi Karunanayake was a significant move which would help to create a new political culture in the country.
Commending Karunanayake for his selfless move, the Prime Minister said: “The Assistant Leader of my party told me that he needed to resign from the ministerial portfolio. I told him to make that decision after discussing it with the President.
He met with the President on Wednesday. Later he went to meet the President with me and Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and handed over his resignation.”
According to the Prime Minister, the resignation indicates that the Government will not interfere with the probe conducted by the presidential commission investigating the bond issue.
“There is no similar example in political history. This is an unprecedented instance. The incumbent Government has realised its good governance goals. When in this country has a minister been summoned before a commission? When has a Minister resigned to making a speech or two? We are introducing a new political culture. If anyone in the UNP is accused of stealing we will remove him or her. We will not harbour thieves,” added the PM.
“I did not accuse anybody. I just explained the party’s position on thieves. Why are you shouting? You are reacting just because you are upset? The reaction indicates there are thieves. You have sand thieves there. You have sil-redi thieves there. You have drug dealers there. There are tsunami thieves, carom board thieves and cement thieves. That is why they got so upset. You were unable to investigate any theft for 10 years. You killed Lasantha Wickrematunge, you abducted and killed Eknaligoda.
“Minister Karunanayake did not go before the Supreme Court to obtain a stay order to avoid the commission. He went before the commission, made his statement, came here and resigned to take a back seat. We saw what happened to Priyasath Dep under the previous government. When Dep was acting independently he was transferred to the Supreme Court to prevent him becoming the Attorney General. But Dep was lucky and became Chief justice. Today the media has freedom. I remember there was a time when the media called us traitors. They even called for my resignation. Today everyone is called a thief. The person who writes that we are thieves is also a thief. Today the media has the freedom to write anything,” said the Prime Minister. (AH)
