Kumar Jayakodi resignation was different from the Negombo Prison incident, the former minister says as he signals he is ready to accept another ministry.
Former minister Kumar Jayakodi resignation has become part of the debate surrounding the Negombo Prison incident after he argued that his departure from office cannot be compared to calls for Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara to resign.
Speaking to the media after an event yesterday (14), Jayakodi said he stepped down from the Energy Ministry to ensure an independent investigation by a Presidential Commission. He insisted that the circumstances surrounding the Negombo Prison incident were fundamentally different.
During the media briefing, Jayakodi responded to questions about why he resigned over allegations linked to the coal issue while the Justice Minister has remained in office despite the deaths of prisoners and prison officers during the Negombo Prison incident.
Q: You resigned when allegations were made against you. Now prisoners and jailers have died, leaving a major black mark in history. Your case involved only a coal allegation, but this incident resulted in deaths. Should only you resign? Why is the Justice Minister still in office?
“I resigned for a different reason. At a time when an investigation was being carried out through a Presidential Commission, I resigned to create the necessary free environment for that process.
“I do not think the Negombo prison issue is the same. That resignation… those are the things the opposition says. We did not form a government to act according to their wishes.
“The people did not vote for us to do what they say. The people voted for us not to do what they did. That is what we need to do.”
Jayakodi rejected comparisons between the two situations, arguing that the circumstances surrounding his resignation differed from the current controversy involving the Justice Minister.
Q: Would you accept another ministry?
“Certainly. If a responsibility is given, we will take it at any time. Whether it is a ministry, a parliamentary seat or something lower does not matter to us.
“We built this political movement to serve the people. Since we are not seeking privileges, it is personally easier for us when we go lower.
“When we go higher, it becomes personally more difficult. However, we will accept both as responsibilities entrusted to us by our party and our political movement.
“Besides, you only have memories of how old politicians acted. We are not like that. We are very different.”
Jayakodi’s remarks indicate that he remains willing to return to Cabinet if the party entrusts him with ministerial responsibilities in the future, while maintaining that his earlier resignation should not be viewed as a precedent for the current demands directed at the Justice Minister.
