Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka said that certain individuals are behaving as if the former government is still in power.

Speaking to Asian Mirror on the defeat of exchange heads of six ministries under Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe at the Western Provincial Council, Ranawaka said that they are not prepared to hold ministries as “hostages”.

The expenditure heads were defeated by 23 to 45 votes. The UNP supported the expenditure heads while UPFA members, the JVP and the Democratic Party voted against.

Ranawaka said that they will inform the President of the matter and take a decision in the coming days. The Western Provincial was elected some time back, before the people gave a different mandate to President Maithripala Sirisena and the Parliament, Ranawaka said. The mandate given to the WPC does not show the current situation in the country, he said.

Warnasinghe is the Media Spokesman of the Jathika Hela Urumaya. The JHU contested the recent general election under the UNP ticket.