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Missing lawmakers, closed-door deals tarnish vote
The lackadaisical attitude shown by the government and the Opposition when the JVP-led no confidence motion was taken up this week was apparent as there were many empty seats at most times during the two-day debate.
No Cabinet minister spoke on the motion. It was the backbenchers on both sides who ran the show with a limited audience.
UNP parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra arriving in Parliament with her second born. Pic by Indika Handuwala
The JVP-led no confidence motion against the government held that the government failed to take adequate precautionary measures despite early warnings to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks, It maintained that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Ministers of Cabinet should have resigned voluntarily in the aftermath of attacks. The failed to do so, and the government should be sent home.
The motion was defeated by 27 votes, where 92 votes were cast in support and government secured 119 votes against it. Thirteen Parliamentarians were absent.
Opening the debate, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka called upon all political parties to support of the motion since it has been established that the government failed to protect its citizens during the Easter Sunday attacks despite adequate intelligence warnings from within and outside the country. The contents of the motion was based on criminal negligence of the Cabinet led by Mr Wickremesinghe.
JVP leader also noted that although his party presented the motion, unlike in the past it had not engaged in any secret meetings with other political parties to secure their support for the motion since the matter was related to a national tragedy which took the lives of over 250 Sri Lankan and left over 500 badly injured.
“The Easter Sunday tragedy was a direct attack on our country that left the economy in very bad shape. We don’t want to engage in meetings with other political parties in rooms to secure their support. This matter should be discussed openly at the chambers of the Parliament,” the JVP Leader said while urging the Opposition led by Parliamentarian Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa and leader of the Tamil National Alliance, Mr R. Sampanthan to vote in support.
JVP which initiated the no confidence motion against government came under severe criticism by Joint Opposition (JO). JO speakers — the majority of them backbenchers — alleged that this whole process is a ‘staged drama’ since the same party worked hard to bring this government into power four years ago and was now trying to prove its majority in the house through this motion. Though Leader of the Opposition and de facto leader of JO Mr Rajapaksa, did not participate in the debate. He took part in the voting and supported the motion along with his colleagues.
During the opening of the debate, the JVP which submitted the motion, came under severe criticism by the government as to why the motion targeted the Prime Minister and his Cabinet alone for government lapses in preventing Easter Sunday attacks, whereas the President, as the Minister of Defence should be equally held responsible. The Opposition backbenchers also expressed reservations on the accountability of the President as the Commander in Chief and Minister of Law and Order.
When UNP backbencher, Parliamentarian Chaminda Wijesiri, raised this issue, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka responded saying the JVP also held the view that the President had a role in the attacks and an impeachment against him on the basis of criminal negligence can be brought to the Parliament if enough UNP Parliamentarians are willing to support it.
“We need at least 75 signatures to bring such an impeachment motion against the President. As of now, we have all six JVP Parliamentarians,” the JVP leader replied. Mr Wijesiri responded saying that he could also be counted for such an initiative if it came to reality.
Downplaying the debate, the JO called for a press briefing by noon at Parliament to express concerns over the amendments proposed by the government regarding the Monetary Law Act No 58 of 1949 claiming that some of the proposed amendments were detrimental to the economy if enacted.
Led by Opposition Leader Mr Rajapaksa, a group of Parliamentarians attached to JO demanded that the proposed amendments should be subjected to a broader discussion. No one spoke about the motion that was being debated.
TNA leader, Mr R. Sampanthan, made a brief speech in the evening session explaining why his party will be voting against the motion despite strong resentment against the government in the North and Eastern provinces where the party contested.
Indicating that there was a protest underway in front of his residence in Trincomalee by unemployed youths demanding jobs as the motion was debated, Mr Sampanthan said the party had been heavily criticised for not creating jobs for youths and the lack of development programmes.
“During the previous regime people were subjected to many difficulties, particularly Tamil people. We don’t know the policies of newly founded Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, or with regard to the ethnic question. How can we vote supportive of this motion if we don’t know the policies of the future government,” Mr Sampanthan asked.
Hours before the vote, TNA negotiated with the government on meeting certain demands in exchange for support.
“One among them was the longstanding request of upgrading Kalmunai North Divisional Secretariat as separate local institution. Under the directives of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with Finance Minister Mangala Samraweera, an appointment letter of cadre creation for the post of accountant for the Divisional Secretariat was authorized by the government,” the TNA Batticaloa Parliamentarian, Gnanamuthu Srineshan told the Sunday Times.
Vetern Muslim leader A.H.M. Fowzie who represents United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) pointed out that one cannot blame the government as the Prime Minister and the cabinet were unaware of the build up to the attacks on April 21 as the Premier was kept out of the security council meetings since October 2018. “It must be remembered that in the absence of the president who was out of the country it was the prime minister who took control of the situation and took immediate steps to bring back a degree of normalcy.”
Even at the last minute, the JVP was trying to secure the support of the TNA but all 14 Parliamentarians voted against the motion when it was taken up for voting by 6:35 pm, reiterating the support they have been extending indirectly since the government took office. Following the official announcement by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya that government survived the motion, government Parliamentarians were seen shouting and jeering at the opposition.