President Rajapakse and UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe after signing MOU

Attanayake says that president having signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the UNP to work towards establishing good governess has unilaterally breached it.

His intention was to weaken the UNP but the new scenario shows that it has gone against him, Attanayake said.

The sacked ministers are closest allies of the president and with the cabinet reshuffle they became a disgruntled lot, he said.

President would have considered them a threat to him as there was a crisis situation in the government brewing up for some time,Attanayake said.

MOU

President ignored the MOU signed with the UNP and began to work on a private agenda, as a result the ministers became victims, he added.

UNP general Secretary Tissa Attanayake said the government is still heading for further crisis.

JVP reaction

Stripping of Mangala Samaraweera, Anura Bandaranaike and Sripathi Sooriyaarchchi from their portfolios shows the government is in a serious crisis, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says.

"This is a crisis both in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party(SLFP) and the Alliance government", JVP MP Vijitha Herath said.

The president is trying to assert his authority against the mandate given by the people . This has paved the way for the present crisis, he said.

This move by the president shows that he wants to get away from those who are critical and questioned the government's actions.