The date to debate the No Confidence Motion (NCM) against Minister Udaya Gammanpila will be decided on at the Party Leaders’ meeting, SJB Kurunegala District Parliamentarian Thushara Indunil Amarasena said.
Amarasena said that if SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam made the statement against Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila with the genuine intention of asking him to take direct responsibility for the recent fuel price hike and resign, there won’t be any issue for him and some SLPP MPs to vote in favour of the SJB sponsored No Confidence Motion (NCM) against Minister Gammanpila.
The recent media release issued by the SLPP General Secretary stated that the subject Minister must take direct responsibility for this situation and be held accountable, and he must resign. He said the SLPP believes the people should not be burdened any further, given that they are already under pressure due to Covid-19, MP Amarasena told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
Amarasena said, “A group of Government Parliamentarians have also requested the Minister to resign. Therefore, we hope if they genuinely said so they would also extend their support to the NCM.” He said Covid-19 has seriously affected the people while they have faced severe hardships to continue their lives. The people have lost their income avenues and all sectors of the economy have collapsed. The prices of food commodities have rapidly increased. Therefore, we see the increase of fuel prices at this juncture as an inhuman move. He said when fuel prices were increased, Udaya Gammanpila was the Minister in charge of the subject. We levelled allegations against the Government in this regard. Then the SLPP General Secretary and a group of MPs issued a statement calling on Minister Gammanpila to resign. It gave the impression that the Minister had taken the decision without even informing the Government. He said as the SLPP said that Minister Gammanpila was responsible for the fuel price hike, the SJB decided to move a No Confidence Motion against him. “If Government lawmakers also call upon Minister Gammanpila to resign, it is obvious that the Government and Opposition members maintain the same view on the issue. Therefore, we hope a group of Government MPs will also extend their support to the SJB sponsored NCM,” he said.