Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser MP Namal Rajapaksa has described Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody’s resignation as welcome but “a bit too late,” insisting that stepping down alone does not resolve accountability for the coal procurement irregularities at Lakvijaya power plant.
Rajapaksa argued that criminal accountability must follow through the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCOI) and the ongoing CID investigation into coal imports dating back to 2009.
The SLPP leader’s criticism adds to a cross-party opposition front — both SLPP and the SJB have demanded accountability beyond the ministerial resignation. The SJB had earlier pressed for Jayakody’s removal through a no-confidence motion that was defeated 153-49 on April 10, with the NPP’s comfortable parliamentary majority holding firm.
Jayakody resigned on April 17 alongside Ministry Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala, citing the need to ensure an independent probe. The government had earlier defended the minister, arguing that neither COPE nor the Auditor General found evidence of corruption against him personally.
The resignation, coming just one week after surviving the parliamentary no-confidence vote, suggests that the PCOI and CID combination exerted more political pressure than the NCM itself.
