News
Sabry tells Prez why he resigned
Treasury Secretary too steps down
Having announced his resignation as Finance Minister, Ali Sabry, PC, has sent the following letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa: “When I tendered my resignation from the post of Minister of Justice on the 3rd of April 2022, it was not my intention to take up any post thereafter. However, in order to maintain parliamentary democracy and the stability of the system and constitutional governance, in light of the multitude of requests made by the business community, professionals and some of my Cabinet colleagues, I decided to accept the post of Minister of Finance only as an interim measure until a suitable, full-time and sustainable solution could be found.
However, after much reflection and deliberation, and taking into consideration the current situation I am now of the view, for your Excellency to make suitable interim arrangements to navigate this unprecedented crisis, fresh and proactive and unconventional steps needs to be taken, including the appointment of a new Finance Minister.
In order to facilitate such an appointment, I hereby tender my resignation from the post of Minister of Finance with immediate effect. If Your Excellency wishes to appoint a person suitable to handle the situation from outside the current Parliament, I am willing to step down from my Parliamentary seat to enable Your Excellency to make such an appointment.
Whilst I regret the inconvenience caused, I believe I have always acted in the best interests of the country, and at this crucial juncture the country needs stability to weather the current financial crisis and difficulties,
It is my fervent hope that those who love our country will understand the enormous challenges and the realities on the ground and will act with responsibility and diligence without further escalating the present crisis.”
Lawmaker Sabry copied his letter to Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath and Treasury Secretary S. R. Attygalle, who also tendered his resignation yesterday.
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya yesterday sad that the Executive Presidency would be abolished, in line with the NPP’s election manifesto.
Speaking in Parliament, in response to a question raised under Standing Order 27/2 by Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, the Prime Minister said the abolition would take place through a proposed new Constitution.
She added that preliminary work on drafting the new Constitution had already begun, with previous committee reports and other proposals being studied to guide the process.
“A concept paper on the draft will be presented to the Cabinet,” Amarasuriya said, noting that a formal study has been initiated on abolishing the Executive Presidency.
She said that the move cannot be implemented without introducing a new Constitution.
Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday that the suspension of duties imposed on Dr. Rukshan Bellana, Deputy Director of the National Hospital, amounted to a violation of his fundamental rights.
Raising the issue during parliamentary proceedings, Premadasa, who is also the SJB Leader, questioned the decision to suspend the senior medical officer for issuing a statement to the media, particularly on matters relating to children’s medicines.
He said health was a fundamental right and noted that two children had reportedly died, stressing that the focus should be on accountability over the incident rather than penalising a medical professional for speaking out.
Premadasa criticised the authorities for suspending Dr. Bellana solely for communicating with the media, asking whether such action constituted justice for families who had lost their children.The Opposition Leader said silencing officials, who raise concerns, undermines fundamental rights and does not address the underlying issues related to patient safety and public health.
Acting Deputy Director of the Colombo National Hospital Dr. Rukshan Bellana has been suspended.
A letter, issued by the Ministry of Health, says preliminary investigations by the Ministry of Health has revealed that Dr. Bellana, as a government medical officer holding a responsible position, made statements to the media, without approval, in a manner that created a controversial situation in the country and unrest among the public.
The letter further stated that formal disciplinary action will be taken in due course regarding this matter.
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