Wimal says not unless interim Govt. is formed

• Weerawansa and Gammanpila were stripped of their portfolios after they held a public seminar critical of the current state of affairs 
• the president asked them to re-join the government but they had expressed their reservations to do so unless an interim administration was formed in consultation with all the parties

By Kelum Bandara

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa invited MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Udaya Gammanpila and Tiran Alles to re-join the government when they met him on Saturday.   

Weerawansa and Gammanpila who held Cabinet posts in the government were stripped of their portfolios after they held a public seminar critical of the current state of affairs. Afterwards, Nanayakkara also decided to keep away from ministerial duties in protest.   

Weerawansa told Daily Mirror that the president asked them to re-join the government but they had expressed their reservations to do so unless an interim administration was formed in consultation with all the parties.    

He said he, along with others, said the same during yesterday’s meeting with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.   Weerawansa was the Industry Minister and Gammanpila was the Energy Minister .  

• Nanayakkara had also decided to keep away from ministerial duties in protest