Athulathmudali’s widow sacked in cabinet reshuffle

Another DUNLF member P B G Kalugalle, deputy minister for justice and ethnic affairs, was also dropped. This is being interpreted as a step to punish the “errant and inefficient”.

Kumaratunga also made other important changes by promoting eight deputy ministers to cabinet rank, adding eight new deputy ministers, reallocating several portfolios and trimming the number of portfolios with each minister.But she left untouched the crucial portfolios of defence, finance and constitutional affairs. She brought in a new deputy minister Lakshman Kiriella to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has entrusted the all-important religious ministry to Lakshman Jayakody. The clergy traditionally plays an important part in the politics of this pre-dominantly Buddhist island.

The sacking of Srimani and Kalugalle is bound to have consequences for the coalition. The DUNLF members, describing the action as a “humiliation” for Athulathmudali, said the party has no immediate plans to quit the coalition.“We will look at what is in the best interests of Sri Lanka but nothing is ruled out,” said Member of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake.

The flamboyant widow of UNF strong man Lalith Athulathamudali had openly attacked the government for dithering in scrapping the executive presidency. Perceived in political circles as a budding rival to the President, she also expressed her reservations about the peace package, proposed by the Chandrika government to resolve the 14-year-old ethnic war.

Karunanayake told The Indian Express that the DUNLF had angered Kumaratunga by its “tough stand” on the proposals to devolve power to the Tamil minority.