Parliament sittings came to an abrupt end on Friday (July 28), and chaos reigned, when the Joint Opposition (JO) members stormed the well of the House following heated verbal blows with Government legislators. Even after Speaker Karu Jayasuriya adjourned the House, the JO members were seen remaining in the Chamber, enacting a ‘drama’ ridiculing the Speaker, Parliament and its dignity and decorum.
During the vote on the gazette extraordinary declaring the supply and distribution of fuel as an essential service under the Essential Public Services Act , the JO members staged a protest against the gazette notification and raised several important queries, thereby creating an uproar. This led to a heated exchange of words between the JO members and Government legislators. The key reason for such heated arguments was that the Speaker called for a voting when a JO member was heard calling for a division, but it was not clear who made the request due to the prevailing disturbance.
However, the resolution was passed before the House was adjourned. The Opposition members called upon Law and Order and Southern Development Minister, Sagala Ratnayake to make a statement regarding the assault on the striking CPC employees. JO Leader Dinesh Gunawardena demanded that the Government should respond to the queries raised by the Opposition. After his remarks, the JO members were seen coming into the well of the House and walking towards the Speaker’s bench. The Speaker requested the vociferous JO to clam down and cooperate to continue the proceedings. Despite the continuous disturbance by the Opposition, the Speaker decided to proceed with the vote. The Hambantota Port agreement was scheduled to be debated in Parliament on Friday (July 28). The agreement was signed on Saturday (July 29). However, the debate was postponed due to the tense situation in the House.
After the House adjourned, the JO members enacted the second episode of their drama. Nearly 15 minutes later after the House adjourned, the quorum bell started ringing which prompted the journalists who were in the press room to rush back to the Chamber. UPFA Kandy District MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage told the journalists that Parliament was going to resume. However, it came to light that the quorum bell had been rung without any valid reason, by one of the JO Parliamentarians who was in the Chamber for their amusement. The JO MPs were seen to create havoc in the well of the House fully disregarding the dignity and decorum of the House. UPFA Gampaha District MP Prasanna Ranatunga occupied the seat reserved for the President. UPFA Ratnapura District MP Ranjith de Zoysa said they had to appoint a new Speaker to resume sittings and proposed the name of MP Piyankara Jayaratne, while MP Prasanna Ranaweera seconded it.
Amid cheer, MP Jayaratne was escorted to the Speaker’s chair by JO front liners Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Rohitha Abeygunawardena. Later, MP Ranaweera made a speech criticising the Government and the Speaker. Then the JO members said sittings were abruptly suspended and left the Chamber yelling derisive remarks and slogans against the Speaker and Parliament. Although the JVP MPs looked at the ‘drama’ they didn’t take part in it.
Meanwhile, Power and Renewable Energy Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera during a hurried press conference held at Parliamentary complex said, the Government members called on the Speaker to take disciplinary action against JO MPs Piyankara Jayaratne and Mahindananda Aluthgamage for ridiculing Parliament after it was adjourned. In addition, back to back press conferences were called in Parliament by the JO, JVP, Government and Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala to clarify their positions regarding the chaos in Parliament.
Abruptly suspending Parliament sittings has become a common phenomenon during the last few months owing to various disturbances created by the JO citing various reasons and objections to some bills and other issues of national importance. Parliamentary sittings also came to an abrupt end on Wednesday (July 26) by protests mounted by the JO, condemning the Government for attacking CPC trade unionists to sabotage trade union action against moves to vest the Hambantota port and Trincomalee oil tanks with China and India respectively. JO MPs charged that the Government had deployed the Army to assault striking workers at Kolonnawa Oil Installation. The heated exchange of words between the Government and the JO MPs led by MP Dinesh Gunawardena over the trade union action of the CPC workers erupted following a statement made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who said the Government would not give in to unreasonable demands.
The TNA congratulated the President for declaring the supply and distribution of fuel as an essential public service and urged the Government to take stern action to enforce the proclamation and carry on all essential public services uninterruptedly. TNA Jaffna District Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran who participated in the debate on the Government’s decision to declare the petroleum sector an essential service under the provisions of the Essential Public Services Act said, whatever trade union action taken should be legitimate and responsible. At present, various organisations calling themselves ‘trade unions’ resorted to what they term ‘trade union action’, but in reality they are politically motivated actions to cripple the functioning of the country. The MP said those who controlled the GMOA often held the country to ransom by going on strike for flimsy reasons. Sometimes, they behave worse than criminals. If medical treatments are not given to the patients, it is worse then a criminal act. “ I don’t say strike action is irrelevant, but workers themselves abuse that right and behave in an irresponsible manner.”
Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake who joined the debate said Police had given protection to thugs who attacked the striking workers of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).
He said, the Government sponsored thugs had brutally assaulted the strikers while the Police looked the other way. Dissanayake demanded to know from Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe whether the latter condoned goon attacks on striking workers while the Police looked on.
Joining the debate, Petroleum Resources Development Minister Arjuna Ranatunga told Parliament that the CPC had incurred huge losses and suffered damages owing to the strike by its workers over the past few days. The Minister said he would furnish a report in that regard to the House shortly. He said they issued the gazette because they saw how the public was inconvenienced due to the CPC trade union action.
Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe presented the new Public-Private Partnership agreement for the Hambantota Port, to Parliament. However, the debate on the deal scheduled for Friday (July 28) was not taken up due to the chaos created by the JO members.