In a move that was long expected, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday sacked Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila and Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa from the cabinet after the two had made critical remarks against Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and had been critical of the government's failures.

 

The Daily Mirror learns that the Rajapaksa brothers had for some time been contemplating removing the duo from the cabinet but when Udaya and Weerawansa had blasted Basil Rajapaksa at a convention held on Wednesday evening, that had been the last straw.

 

The feud had erupted since last year when Udaya, Weerawansa and a few other government MPs had filed a case in the Supreme Court against the Yugadanavi Power Plant, after cabinet approval had been obtained to go ahead with the project. 

 

President Rajapaksa had on several occasions hinted during cabinet meetings that it was unethical of ministers to work against the government policies and had even sacked State Minister Susil Premajayanth from his post for passing critical remarks to the media against the government. 

 

Senior political sources at the time said Susil's sacking was an indirect message to Weerawansa, Udaya and Vasudeva Nanayakkara who had gone against the Yugadanavi Power Plant deal to tow in line and stop working on their personal agendas. 

 

However since none towed in line, the President was then informed that 11 parties within the government were attempting to form an alliance of their own and this was to be announced in early March. 

 

After monitoring the situation closely, when the 11 parties, that included former president Maithripala Sirisena united on Wednesday to hold their first public rally, things heated up as Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa received critical comments, with Weerawansa going as far as to call Basil stupid at the public rally. 

 

In an urgent cabinet meeting held on Wednesday night, things heated up even more as Basil by that time had heard Weerawansa's criticism and was furious.

 

On Thursday morning, President Rajapaksa made his final decision to remove Udaya and Weerawansa and informed the cabinet of ministers to gather at the Presidential Secretariat without divulging the reason. 

 

Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi was sworn in as the Minister of Power, Gamini Lokuge was sworn in as Minister of Energy and S.B. Dissanayake was sworn in as new Minister of Industries.

 

Udaya Gammapila speaking to Daily Mirror last evening, soon after his sacking said for a year they had been discussing the problems with President Rajapaksa but all concerns had fallen to deaf ears. Finally, he said that they had submitted a recovery program to the President but instead of taking that into consideration, they were sacked from their portfolios. (JAMILA HUSAIN)