5 January 2022 09:39 am Views - 156
Minister Johnston Fernando said that former State Minister Susil Premjayantha should have known better before taking a stance against the government while remaining a minister there.
Commenting on the removal of Premajayantha from the portfolio of State Minister of Education Reforms, Open Universities and Distance Learning Promotion, Minister Fernando said Premajayantha had made public statements detrimental to the interests of the government.
“He being a senior politician should have known better. He as a state minister representing the government has responsibilities and should have acted within limits. He has a responsibility to protect the government and its policies. If there were shortcomings of those policies there are many forums where they should have been raised. There are many occasions when the President meets the ministers. Premajayantha should have raised the problems or opinions he had about the government policies then. As a senior Premajayantha is expected to provide an example for the new MPs. We are bound by our duties and responsibilities and should uphold them. People have voted for us for that purpose. No one should do the Opposition’s job while remaining in the government ranks. Such actions would only please the Opposition. We cannot allow that to continue”.