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The developments in Parliament this week, with 16 Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs crossing over to the Opposition, leaves little doubt that the government is falling into an abyss from which, it may not find its way out. The latest defections add to the already confusing situation in Parliament, with 3 separate groups assuming the role of the Opposition in the Legislature.

The SLFP MPs who chose to sit in Opposition are the 16 who voted in favour of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in early April. The NCM was defeated with 122 MPs opposing it but, it led to a further split within the ranks of SLFP MPs who were part of the Unity Government, and dealt another blow to ‘Yahapalana’ rule.

The 16 MPs crossed over on Tuesday, just before the ceremonial sitting of Parliament commenced, with President Maithripala Sirisena presenting his Government’s policy statement to the House. They crossed the Well of the House while the quorum bells rang, and were welcomed with loud cheers by the Joint Opposition (JO) group. Among them are several SLFP MPs who contested the 2015 General Elections and lost, only to be subsequently appointed as National List MPs, with the President’s blessings.

The Group includes MPs Dilan Perera, S.B. Dissanayka, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and Susil Premjayanth who have been vociferous advocates for ending the alliance between the UNP and aligning with the UPFA-SLFP faction backed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

MP S.B. Dissanayake on Wednesday told the House that the group would join hands with the rest in Opposition in Parliament to create a force against the Prime Minister and the UNP, even though they remain within Government ranks. While this is a clear cut case of these MPs wanting to have the cake and eat it too, the move, instead of strengthening the hand of the President, which they say they wish to do, will likely weaken his position within the ranks of the SLFP.

Buoyed by the 16 new entrants to the Opposition, the JO group has decided to intensify their move to secure the post of Leader of the Opposition to one within their ranks. The post is presently held by Trincomalee District MP R. Sampanthan, whose Party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), has 16 seats in the House. The JO now has 70 MPs in their ranks inclusive of the 16 who joined them this week, and are in a position to make a strong claim to the Post.

And away they go: The moment the 16 MPs crossed over from the govt. side to the opposition. Pic by Indika Handuwala

Despite the growing friction within the Unity Government, President Sirisena put on a brave face when he addressed Parliament. He called for unity among among all political forces, saying, “Given the challenges the nation is facing right now, all parties should come together as one.”

Many of the views he expressed were idealistic. He spoke of an economically prosperous country, free from bribery, corruption and waste, where political forces work together for the good of the common person, but 3 years after taking office, the ‘Yahapalana’ Government has failed to live up to the expectations of those who voted it into office. However flowery the language politicians in power may use, the many, many mistakes the Government has committed along the way have overshadowed its good work. With incumbency fatigue setting in, President Sirisena and those in his Government will need to make some drastic changes to the manner in which they run the affairs of the country, if they have hopes of retaining power, after the next presidential and parliamentary elections.