March 16, Colombo (LNW): Opposition MP Ajith P. Perera has called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take a clear decision regarding whether a cabinet member facing serious allegations should continue to serve as Minister of Energy.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian said the responsibility ultimately lies with the President to determine whether the minister concerned should remain in office while the accusations are being examined.
Perera recalled that in the past, members of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) — including Dissanayake himself — had strongly demanded accountability in similar situations. He pointed out that when allegations surfaced over pharmaceutical procurement during the tenure of former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, opposition MPs at the time vigorously called for his removal in Parliament.
According to Perera, those demands eventually led then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe to remove Rambukwella from the health portfolio, demonstrating the importance of upholding ministerial responsibility.
The opposition MP also criticised remarks reportedly made by Nihal Abeysinghe, General Secretary of the National People’s Power (NPP), who had suggested that the Energy Minister had not been removed despite facing significant accusations. Perera described the statement as troubling and said it appeared to contradict the standards of accountability previously advocated by the ruling coalition.
He added that the situation raises broader concerns about transparency and consistency, particularly given that the current administration had campaigned strongly on promises of clean governance and institutional integrity.
According to Perera, the public now expects those commitments to be upheld in practice.