Sri Lankan leaders have spent decades unknowingly engineering their own political downfall by reshuffling their cabinets in ways that ignite rivalries, create hidden enemies, and unleash future challengers who eventually rise to overthrow them.
When President Ranasinghe Premadasa first carried out a Cabinet reshuffle in 1990, he never imagined that it would mark the beginning of his eventual downfall. In that reshuffle, he appointed Lalith Athulathmudali, who had been Minister of Agriculture, as Minister of Education. Lalith had never been happy as Minister of Agriculture. Having previously served as Minister of Trade and Minister of National Security under J. R. Jayewardene’s government, he saw the new post as a demotion. Moving from Agriculture to Education only deepened his resentment. At the same time, Gamini, the Minister of Plantation Industries, was removed from the Cabinet entirely. Both men had been powerful figures in the ruling United National Party and were seen as potential successors. Their removal created deep emotional and political wounds that would soon reshape the country’s political landscape.
The 1991 impeachment motion against Premadasa arose directly from this reshuffle. Lalith and Gamini, whose wings had been clipped by their leader, joined forces to bring the impeachment motion. Their alliance surprised the political establishment and marked the beginning of Premadasa’s rapid decline. The Cabinet reshuffle that was supposed to strengthen his authority instead created enemies inside his own political home, enemies who united at the decisive moment to challenge his presidency.
Under Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government, which came to power in 1994, the first major Cabinet reshuffle occurred in 1997. By then, the most prominent political figure in Chandrika’s Cabinet was Mahinda Rajapaksa, who served as Minister of Labour. Mahinda had developed a national following and was known for his strong oratory, grassroots popularity, and ability to mobilise mass support. While preparing to address the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Mahinda was unexpectedly visited by Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Geneva the night before his speech.
“You are being removed from the post of Minister of Labour…” the Ambassador informed him.
Mahinda was deeply distressed. The sudden announcement shocked him, and he felt humiliated that such news reached him in a foreign country. From that day, he resolved that Chandrika needed to be taught a lesson. From then on, he began quietly plotting against her along with a group of ministers and MPs who felt similarly marginalised. In 2001, a powerful group of ministers defected from Chandrika’s government to the opposition. This defection was a direct result of Mahinda’s maneuvering and his ability to rally disaffected members. Yet Mahinda himself did not leave the government at that moment. Instead, he met Ranil Wickremesinghe at the residence of former Parliamentary Secretary General Sam Wijesinha and cleared the path for Ranil to poach ministers. Chandrika’s government collapsed later that year. Although she returned to power in 2004, by 2005 she was forced into political retirement, and Mahinda rose as the dominant figure, eventually becoming President.
After Mahinda became President in 2005, he appointed the party’s General Secretary, Maithripala Sirisena, as Minister of Agriculture. This was a portfolio Maithri preferred and was closely connected to his political base. However, after Mahinda won the presidency again in 2010, he changed Maithri’s portfolio, appointing him Minister of Health. Maithri was not pleased with the sudden change and quietly developed resentment. The Cabinet reshuffle planted the first seeds of his political rebellion.
The first major clash between Mahinda and Maithri emerged from this Cabinet reshuffle. Later, during a conflict involving a major tobacco company, Mahinda and the Rajapaksa family sided with the company. This position further aggravated Maithri’s frustration. These developments eventually became some of the key reasons Maithri agreed to become the common opposition presidential candidate in 2015. Had Mahinda avoided reshuffling the Cabinet in 2010 and allowed Maithri to remain Minister of Agriculture, Mahinda might not have been defeated in 2015, and Maithripala Sirisena would never have become President. Once again, a reshuffle created a silent enemy who later returned as a formidable challenger.
Thus, Sri Lankan presidents across decades have repeatedly been undone by their own Cabinet reshuffles. These reshuffles often create enemies within their governments, transforming loyalists into rivals. In 1990, Premadasa undermined Lalith and Gamini, the next potential UNP leaders. In 1997, Chandrika undermined Mahinda, who was popular among SLFP members as a potential successor. In 2010, Mahinda undermined the SLFP’s General Secretary, Maithripala Sirisena. Each time, the reshuffled minister eventually turned into a political threat.
“So then, the other day, did Anura Kumara clip the Leader of the House Bimal’s wings…?”
The story is true. Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s sudden Cabinet reshuffle shocked political circles across Colombo. The reshuffle left observers stunned as it dramatically changed the internal dynamics of the government.
At that time, Bimal was serving as Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation. When a massive allegation regarding container clearance emerged, the opposition claimed Bimal was removed from the Port Ministry due to his connection to the corrupt deal. Bimal did not respond to the allegations. He insisted from the beginning that he had no authority to release containers and said the accusations were politically motivated. After the reshuffle, Bimal disappeared to China for nearly two weeks. Immediately after Bimal’s departure, Prime Minister Harini entered the national spotlight.
Harini made two state visits to China and India and, having been positioned to clip Bimal’s wings, stepped forward to repair her public image. With Harini taking center stage, Bimal, who had previously been the government’s second most prominent figure, was sidelined. The reshuffle changed the balance of power, elevating Harini and diminishing Bimal’s political relevance.
Before the reshuffle, Bimal had told the media that a Cabinet reshuffle was imminent. Minister Hadunnetthi rejected his claim and insisted no such reshuffle was planned. In the end, the only reshuffle that actually occurred was Bimal’s removal from the portfolios of Minister of Ports and Minister of Civil Aviation.
Before his removal, Bimal had been the government’s chief parliamentary attacker, frequently assailing the opposition and leaving them little space to respond. He was known as the government’s shield and as a strong defender of government policy. After returning from his overseas stay, Bimal became a noticeably quiet figure in Parliament. Recently, the opposition even had to demand that the Speaker allow Bimal to speak, reflecting how drastically his influence had diminished.
Earlier, whenever Bimal spoke, the opposition erupted in anger. At that time, Harini was the opposition’s most popular figure. The opposition believed there was a rift between Harini and the JVP, which could grow into a major split if Harini decided to leave the government. Harini remained silent, allowing such speculation to simmer. But after Anura’s Cabinet reshuffle, Harini stepped forward confidently, while Bimal fell silent. The transformation was striking and became a major talking point in political circles.
Until Premadasa clipped Lalith’s and Gamini’s wings, the opposition viewed them as villains. After the reshuffle, both men became heroes of the opposition. Mahinda became a hero of the opposition only after Chandrika clipped his wings. Maithripala Sirisena too became an opposition hero only after Mahinda and the Rajapaksa family clipped his wings. These political patterns reveal a recurring truth: Cabinet reshuffles often elevate the weakened minister into a powerful opposition figure.
The JVP is not the UNP or the SLFP. It is known as a highly disciplined party. Yet even within the JVP, people have broken away, including Wimal, party leader Somawansa, and Kumar Gunaratnam. The idea that the JVP is completely immune to internal division is a myth. Cabinet reshuffles and internal conflicts can still trigger political fractures even within disciplined organisations.
Is Bimal in the same league as Lalith, Mahinda, and Maithri?
“It is hard to say.”
