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Any thoughts that a stronger and more united Opposition would emerge in Parliament on the back of month-long street protests against the Government were swept aside on Thursday during the election for the post of Deputy Speaker.

By the end of the vote, different Opposition groups were accusing each other of “betrayal” as the Government enjoyed a tactical victory.

The election for the Deputy Speaker post was always going to be a crucial test in terms of numbers for the Government and the Opposition, in view of two motions the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya has handed over to the Speaker,  expressing no confidence in both the Government and the President.

The Government had earlier planned to field its own nominee from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) for the post. Opposition parties, meanwhile, had decided on fielding Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MP Ranjith Siyambalapitiya. He had resigned from the post of Deputy Speaker only days before after the SLFP quit the Government and sat in the Opposition benches with a group of SLPP MPs. On Wednesday, the Speaker announced that the President had accepted Mr Siyambalapitiya’s resignation and that a new Deputy Speaker would be elected the next day.

On Thursday, Mr Siyambalapitiya’s name was again proposed as Deputy Speaker by Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s Nimal Siripala De Silva and seconded by Susil Premajayantha, who is among a group of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MPs sitting independently in Parliament. Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris then stood up and said the Government would support Mr Siyambalapitiya’s nomination. His statement signalled a change in strategy by the SLPP and showed that the Government, for all its bluster, was not confident about having the necessary numbers to win a vote.

If matters had stopped there, Mr Siyambalapitiya would have been reelected unanimously. SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara, however, stated that the party would propose Imthiaz Bakeer Markar for the post “since the Government says it will support Mr Siyambalapitiya’s nomination.” Mr. Bakeer Markar’s name was seconded by Chief Opposition Whip Laksham Kiriella. As per Standing Orders, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena then directed that a secret ballot be held for the post.

When the votes were counted, Mr Siyambalapitiya had won by a massive majority of 83 votes, with 148 votes for him and just 65 for Mr Bakeer Marker. There were three invalid votes while eight MPs were absent. They were National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weeranwansa and his party colleague Uddika Premaratne, SJB’s Mayantha Dissanayake and Imran Maharoof, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Leader R. Sampanthan and MP S. Noharathalingam, Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani (TMTK) Leader C.V. Wigneswaran, SLPP MP John Seneviratne. No sooner the vote ended than allegations of betrayal flew thick and fast. In his speech accepting the Deputy Speaker post for a second time, Mr Siyambalapitiya said the understanding up until 10am that morning had been that he would be proposed as the Opposition’s sole candidate. “I wanted this to be an opportunity where we could display the strength of the Opposition. I deeply regret that the Opposition did not make use of the opportunity. I see this as a betrayal of the struggle being conducted by the people in the streets,” he stressed. He, however, said the situation did not change their position on functioning as independents and sitting as members of the Opposition.

Apparently piqued by the setback,  Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said the outcome of the vote  showed the true colours of various people in the House. “Our stance changed with the message that the SLPP would support Mr Siyambalapitiya. Regrettably, he too has now become a protector of this Government. What happened here today showed to those involved in the struggle outside the political games at play here. But we showed clearly that we are against this President, Prime Minister and the Government.”

Striking a reconciliatory note, United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said the Government could not field a candidate for the post and both candidates were from the Opposition and were qualified for the job.

“The people are calling on the Rajapaksas to go, not the entire SLPP. So, let’s work together. This country is in the midst of a dire economic crisis. We haven’t been able to resolve it this week either. If we fail to do so even in the coming Parliamentary week, not just the Parliament’s honour, but its power too will be lost,” he warned.

The NFF, which is also sitting as part of the group of 41 independent MPs in Parliament, hit back at Mr Premadasa through MP Mohamed Muzammil. He stated that neither the Government nor the SJB had been willing to entertain their proposal to establish an interim all-party Government. “Let’s assume we pass an NCM tomorrow and send this Government home. Is the Opposition Leader prepared to form an SJB Government to fill this vacumn or is he prepared for an interim Government? He is the one playing political games here.”

TNA MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, meanwhile, accused UNP Leader  Wickremesinghe of canvassing among Government MPs, urging them to vote for Mr Siyambalapitiya. “Today, 65 MPs are standing with Sri Lanka while 148 are standing with the Rajapaksas. Whatever NCM is brought before this Parliament, these people will never vote against the Rajapaksas.”

Mr Wickremesinghe dismissed the accusations the next day. “Don’t try to involve me in these issues. When Ranjith Madduma Bandara gave me the NCM, I said I will support it. When (TNA MP) Sumanthiran gave me the NCM against the President, I said I will support it before anyone else. I will support a new Government from the outside,” he said.

With the SJB pushing for its NCMs to be taken up and debated, Parliament was adjourned till May 17 under acrimonius circumstances on Friday after SJB MPs vehemently objected to the alleged heavy-handed tactics by police towards student demonstrators.

On Thursday, police fired tear gas and water cannon at Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) members who were attempting to march towards Parliament. They did so again on Friday to try and disperse students and others who had set up camp along Parliament Road opposite Diyatha Uyana. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena adjourned Parliament early despite protests by Opposition MPs who demanded the Speaker give them a date on which their NCMs would be taken up.

A special party leaders’ meeting will be convened at 10am tomorrow (9) to decide whether to convene Parliament early or will meet as scheduled on May 17. The Speaker has also called for a report from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) regarding the actions of the police.