Two government ministers who defected from Sri Lanka’s main opposition were sacked from the cabinet yesterday, after the Supreme Court upheld disciplinary action against them.
The decision came ahead of presidential elections next month, the first vote since the unprecedented economic crisis of 2022, when months of protests toppled then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The pair, tourism minister Harin Fernando and labour minister Manusha Nanayakkara, had switched sides to back President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is readying for the September 21 vote.
The ministers’ former party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), suspended their membership, which the court yesterday upheld — requiring the duo to quit the parliament and cabinet in a setback for Wickremesinghe.
