The Joint Opposition (JO) enacting yet another drama handed over a No Confidence Motion (NCM) containing 14 allegations against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the Speaker on Wednesday (21) hoping they would be able to muster the required numbers to win the motion to be taken up for debate in Parliament on April 4. The Government law makers posing a key challenge to the Opposition members also signed a Confidence Motion on Prime Minister with the signatures of more than 80 UNP MPs expressing their confidence in the Premier.
The JO’s NCM had been signed by 55 MPs including State Minister of Lands T. B. Ekanayake, Public Management and Administration Deputy Minister Susantha Punchinilame, Ports and Shipping Deputy Minister Nishantha Muthuhettigama and UPFA MP Cader Masthan. However, a question arises as to how some State Ministers and Deputy Ministers further continue their office in the Government after signing the NCM as it is a complete violation of the collective responsibility of the Government. Notably, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and UPFA MPs Roshan Ranasinghe and Siripala Gamlath had not signed the motion.
There were speculations that JO Parliamentary Group members are divided on the NCM against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and there were heated arguments at the JO’s Parliamentary Group meeting. Highly informed sources confirmed that dissenting views had been expressed by some JO members over submitting the NCM. JO frontliners Kumara Welgama, Prasanna Ranatunga, Ramesh Pathirana and Nimal Lansa had severely criticized the decision to move the NCM against the Prime Minister, but they too had signed it.
According to parliamentary sources, this is the 47th NCM and the third No Confidence Motion to be moved against a Prime Minister in the annals of the Sri Lankan Parliament. Previously, NCMs had been submitted and taken for vote against former Prime Ministers S.W.R.D Bandaranaike in 1957 and Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1975. The first NCM had been handed over against two Ministers on September 9, 1949. The sources noted that usually there would be no secret vote on an NCM, but the MPs could submit a substantive motion to the Speaker seeking his permission for a secret vote and the Speaker has the discretion to comply with or reject such a request.
Some UNP seniors said the signatures for the Confidence Motion on the Prime Minister were collected at the Government Group Meeting held in the parliamentary complex and a unanimous decision was also taken to defeat the NCM against the Prime Minister. As a significant gesture, several party leaders who are coalition partners of the National Unity Government including Ministers, Rauf Hakeem, Rishad Bathiudeen, P. Thigambaram and Mano Ganesan had also signed the Confidence Motion expressing their support to the Prime Minister. They said the JO is not in a position whatsoever to win this NCM against the Prime Minister and no UNP MP would ever support it irrespective of media speculations.
The controversial Glyphosate issue turned into a hot topic in the well of the House when UNP MP Thusara Indunil Amarasena attempted to mention the name of UNP MP Ven.Athuraliye Rathana thera’s name when he was speaking on the Glyphosate ban in Sri Lanka during the oral question session. Ven.Rathana thera told the House if the JO supports the Glyphosate ban, he was ready to work with the outfit. Responding to MP Amarasena’s question, State Minister of Finance Eran Wickramaratne said that Prof. Buddhi Marambe has said that Glyphosate had no link to the chronic kidney disease. However Ven.Rathana thera who categorically rejected the Minister’s claim said that there are about 100,000 patients suffering from chronic kidney disease in Sri Lanka. State Minister Wickramaratne quoted Prof. Marambe as having said that Glyphosate had no connection with the disease. Then Ven. Rathana thera queried, “Is Prof. Marambe the only scientist in Sri Lanka”? Several other scientists have clearly said that Glyphosate has a connection with kidney disease and added that a Parliamentary Sub Committee was also appointed about this ban. He alleged someone who came from the US attempts to lift the ban. Ven. Rathana thera asked what happened to the Cabinet paper regarding the Glyphosate ban. Is this the good governance? He asked.
A heated exchange of words ensued between the JO members and Leader of the House Minister Lakshman Kiriella on Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake’s comments made on Supreme Court Judges during Tuesday’s parliamentary session. Responding to the remarks by the JO members, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya told Parliament that he would take necessary action regarding the Deputy Minister’s comments. Deputy Minister Ramanayake participating in the debate on regulations under the Judicature Act alleged that some Supreme Court Judges had given verdicts in favour of thieves and those responsible for misdeeds and corruption.
He mentioned several names of Judges during his speech. JO MPs drew the attention of the Speaker that the Deputy Minister is trying to bring the legislature and the judiciary on a collision course. JO parliamentary group leader Dinesh Gunawardena pointed out if there is anything wrong with the procedures of the Judiciary, Parliament could hold a debate on that and take remedial action.