Six Sri Lankan ministers resign from their posts, say they were unable to continue work in unity government

Colombo: Six Sri Lankan ministers resigned on Thursday, saying they were unable to continue work in the country’s unity government. The ministers were from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) which is led by President Maithripala Sirisena, reports Xinhua news agency. The six ministers are: Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara, Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare SB Dissanayake, Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Labour Minister John Seneviratne, Science, Technology and Research Minister Susil Premajayantha and Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training Chandima Weerakkody. The SLFP is a coalition partner in the unity government along with the ruling United National Party which is led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Ten other state and deputy ministers belonging to the SLFP had also vacated their positions on Wednesday. Sirisena has accepted the resignations of all the 16 legislators. An official from the president’s office told Xinhua that although the 16 legislators would no longer be in the government, they would continue to support Sirisena.