Politics took a new turn when the entire Cabinet of Ministers stepped down from their portfolios on April 3.
All Cabinet Ministers tendered their resignation letters to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at a special Cabinet meeting. As said by some of the Government lawmakers, all Cabinet Ministers resigned paving the way for anybody could to muster 113 MPs in Parliament to form a Government.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on April 4 appointed four Ministers to maintain the legitimacy and stability of Parliament and other functions of the country until a full Cabinet is appointed.
These Ministers were appointed for Foreign Affairs and Finance and the need to appoint a Leader of the House and a Chief Organiser to maintain the Parliament.
Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena was sworn in as the Minister of Education and Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando was sworn in as the Minister of Highways. Former Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC was sworn in as the Minister of Finance while Prof. G.L. Peiris was re-appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
However, the new Finance Minister Sabry who resigned from the post within 24 hours of his appointment returned to the position on Friday. Minister Sabry told Parliament on Friday that he resigned from the post to give way for someone more suitable to accept the post. However, since no one came forward to accept the post he decided to continue as the Finance Minister.
Pandemonium
The political situation in the country turned into a hot topic during the Parliamentary week from Tuesday to Friday where heated arguments ensued between the Government and Opposition lawmakers. A two day debate was also held in Parliament on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the current crisis situation in the country.
Pandemonium reigned when the SJB Parliamentarians invaded the Well of the House of Parliament on Wednesday carrying placards and banners while shouting slogans against the President and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.
The situation aggravated when SJB Parliamentarian Mujubur Rahaman and SLPP Parliamentarian Milan Jayatilaka clashed with each other. A number of Government lawmakers and SJB lawmakers rushed to the scene of the clash and attempted to prevent it. Under the tense situation, the Speaker was compelled to adjourn sittings for 10 minutes which resumed before the lunch interval.
However, responding to the claim by the Opposition and certain sections asking the President to quit, Chief Government Whip Minister Johnston Fernando told Parliament that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will not step down under any circumstances.
He said, “The President will not ‘go home’. We are ready to face you directly with all your hidden agendas. We know what you are trying to do. We won’t work beyond the confines of the Constitution. If the people so decide, we will sit as the Opposition, but we will not violate the boundaries of the Constitution.”
Minister Fernando said the President will not resign simply because Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his men shout slogans. The President has been elected by the people and he will not step down. Even Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike faced a similar crisis in 1971. Thousands of youth were killed because of the JVP uprising. Then another 60,000 youth perished in the 1988-89 period. Do not push the country back to that situation again. He said, “I am thankful to Opposition MPs who expressed their suggestions to solve the crisis. We must understand that there should be a country for all of us to live in. We could do politics only if there is a country.”
Minister Fernando said, “There are shortages but they will not last forever. We are taking every possible measure to solve these problems. But the issue of shortages is not a political crisis. Government and Opposition MPs except the JVP respect the principles of democracy. We do our politics within Constitutional provisions. It is the JVP that encourages people to violate the Constitution.
Opposition Lawmaker Harin Fernando called on Parliament to appoint his Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) colleague Dr. Harsha De Silva as President for at least six months.
He said, “If there is absolutely no one, appoint Dr. Harsha De Silva as the President for six months.”
The SJB lawmaker said even at a time when people are on the streets, the Government and the Opposition are not reaching a common ground to work together. MP Fernando said as per the provisions of the Constitution the administration of the country can be vested with a caretaker government, as Sri Lanka cannot afford to go to the polls while people are struggling to survive.
“I am disappointed to say that I sometimes believe that it would have been better if I was not an MP,” he told Parliament while commenting on the people’s call for all 225 MPs to be removed.
Opposition lawmaker Harin Fernando also informed the Secretary-General of Parliament that he would renounce his parliamentary salary for the upcoming year. He said that the Parliamentarians have a duty to show the public some sacrifice to win the confidence of the public.
National Freedom Front Leader MP Wimal Weerawansa told the House that the Parliamentarians of 10 constituent parties of the ruling SLPP would function as independent members. Weerawansa said that the person who had plunged the country into crisis was occupying a front row seat in the House and that should be changed immediately. He said it was an error that should be rectified without further delay or there would be anarchy.
Former President and SLPP Polonnaruwa District MP Maithripala Sirisena said that the SLFP group of MPs would also be independent in Parliament. He said the 20th Amendment to the Constitution should be abolished and the 19th Amendment brought back with suitable amendments.
Independent MPs
Ten SLPP Parliamentarians, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, John Seneviratne, Susil Premjayantha, Chandima Weerakkody, Nalin Fernando, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Piyankara Jayaratne, Jayaratne Herath, Nimal Lanza and Roshan Ranasinghe broke ranks with the Government and became independent MPs in the House.
Two CWC parliamentarians Jeevan Thondaman and Maradapandi Rameshwaram also parted company with the Government to act as independent MPs. Thondaman had also resigned from the post of State Minister of Estate Housing and Community Infrastructure.
President attends Parliament
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa attended the Parliament session on Thursday morning, April 7. The President who arrived at the Parliament complex was welcomed by the Members of Parliament of the ruling party. Members of Parliament gave a resounding round of applause and welcomed the President as he entered the Chamber during the Second Reading of the ‘Surcharge Tax Bill’. The President, who was in the Chamber for a short period, focused his attention on the submissions made by the people’s representatives.
SLPP Parliamentarian Vasudeva Nanayakkara told Parliament that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa does not need to step down, but there should be a considerable change in the Government in which the people could rely on under this situation.
Joining the debate on the situation in the country held for the second day in Parliament on Thursday, Nanayakkara said that Patali Champika Ranawaka did not utter a single word on a mechanism that could bring a solution to the unprecedented economic crisis that the country is facing today.
He said that the people have come on the roads for a particular reason and there should be a mechanism to direct those people on a correct and constructive path and to build a strong Government.
He said, “The President cannot be removed from his office at this stage. He is the centre of power now. Some groups may need it and be pleased to do so but the Government is with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. So there should be a reform in it and it should be reflected from its appearance as well.”
NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament that his party is not prepared to consider any proposal to resolve the crisis until the President resigns. He said his party is prepared to engage in any negotiation subject to these conditions.
Dissanayake said, “There are two central factors in the people’s struggle. One is that the President should no longer hold his post. We need to accept it. This is not something that only the Opposition is demanding. The whole country is demanding the resignation of the President which is evident in all the protests.
“The citizens of this country are not prepared to accept any proposal or mechanism brought either within or outside of the Constitutional framework, as long as the President remains at the helm. Their collective demand is for the President to step down. Hence, we will not support any mechanism that is brought while the President remains in power and the people will not accept it either.”
NCM
The main Opposition SJB collected signatures from its MPs to bring a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against the entire Government. NPP MP Vijitha Herath told Parliament on Friday that his Party was ready to bring a No-Confidence Motion and an Impeachment Motion against the President and the Government. MP Herath said that everything was ready to bring an Impeachment Motion against the President and that his Party would support a No-Confidence Motion against the Government. He also said that the economic crisis could not be resolved without a solution to the political crisis.
Herath said, “The people want a leadership change. If the Government continues to act in an arbitrary manner, we will stand with the No-Confidence Motion and take necessary measures as per the provisions of the Constitution.
At the adjournment debate on the report of the IMF in the House on Friday, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said a No-Confidence Motion will be moved against the Government if it does not listen to the calls of the public. The Opposition Leader presented a set of proposals for resolving the ongoing financial and political crises. Stressing that the Executive Presidency must be abolished completely, Premadasa called for devolution of power among the Executive, legislature and the Judiciary.
Confrontation
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana suspended SJB Parliamentarian Chaminda Wijesiri and SLPP Parliamentarian Janaka Tissakuttiarachchi from sessions on Friday since their confrontation disturbed Parliament. The Speaker suspended the sittings twice due to this situation, the first being when their confrontation became more disturbing.
When the sittings resumed the Speaker announced their suspension for one day and again suspended the sittings temporarily allowing the Serjeant -At-Arms to remove the duo from the House of Parliament before the debate continued. A verbal confrontation flared up using unparliamentary language while SJB MP Wijesiri was charging on the security of the MP Tissakuttiarachchi. Both MPs lost control of themselves at the end and MP Wijesiri was seen throwing a water bottle at Tissakuttiarachchi and it fell on the desk where former Minister MP Pavithra Wannniarachchi was sitting.
Complicated situation
SJB Parliamentarian Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said that when Minister Ali Sabry said that he was still the Finance Minister he too applauded. “We were all in a dilemma wondering who the Finance Minister would be and how we would handle this crisis. Apart from our political differences, I respect your character,” he told Minister Sabry.
He said that the country is now going through a complicated situation, adding that the public is calling for the resignation of the President and the Government and that the Government has also lost its two-thirds majority.
He said, “Now the Government has split into several factions. The Government’s foundation was the Rajapaksa clan and now there is a certain amount of revolting from within the Government against the Rajapaksas.” Fonseka said that some are of the view that if the Rajapaksas are not involved, the SJB was willing to join any Party to form a Government. He said, “That is against our conscience and our policies. We are not prepared to form a Government simply by collecting 113 heads. Personally, I am not of that stand. But, if respected politicians who are not corrupt can join to make up the 113, then I am willing to consider.”
Fonseka said that what the people are looking for is someone who can resolve this current crisis and not for opinions and evaluations of the situation. He also said that the Opposition’s role is not only to criticise the Government but in a given situation they will have to take over the Government if the situation arose. However, he said that if the Government is to be handed over to the SJB, they would have to be given the Presidency as well.
Public Finance
UNP Leader MP Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday proposed that Parliament should take over the control of Public Finance which has been entrusted to the Cabinet, for it has not been able to execute it properly. He said that section 148 of the Constitution provides for the Legislature to take control of Public Finance.
He was speaking during the Adjournment Debate moved by SLPP MP Ranjith Bandara on the IMF report on Sri Lanka’s economic situation. He said the Cabinet has failed to put the country’s finances in place. He said that it is possible to request the World Bank to establish a consortium to support Sri Lanka.
He said that such a consortium could comprise Japan, US and other major countries. MP Wickremesinghe stressed the urgency of addressing the food crisis. He said that a parliamentary delegation could be sent to countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to negotiate in obtaining food, adding that we can repay for the food after several years.