News
President holds strategy session to thwart moves to defeat Govt.
Beleaguered President Gotabaya Rajapaksa held a strategy session with ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) parliamentarians yesterday to chart a course to counter opposition moves to thwart the Government’s initiatives when Parliament sessions begin on Tuesday.
The first was to quash efforts of the main opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) to move a vote of censure against the President. A motion is already listed in the Order Book of Parliament and party leaders discussed taking up the matter on Tuesday with Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
Since a debate on such a motion hinged on the suspension of Standing Orders, government MPs will seek to oppose such a move. Thus, they believe, they will be able to thwart a debate on the vote of censure prompting the
matter to be listed in the Order Book for another date. Though not binding, the adoption of a vote of censure would have meant that the Government did not have the numbers. The message arising from it would have been damaging both locally and internationally.
The other strategy is to shore up strong support for the newly appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament. Though a full Cabinet of Ministers is yet to be sworn in, the finance portfolio has been assigned by President Rajapaksa to Mr Wickremesinghe at the latter’s request. He will thus be the new head of the negotiating team with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
For the twin strategies of President Rajapaksa, the most inevitable requirement would be a majority in Parliament. According to sources close to the presidency, the President was sure of 100 SLPP MPs extending support. That is both not to suspend Standing Orders and, should the necessity arise, in expressing a vote of confidence in the President.
The breakaway group of 42 SLPP alliance MPs has chosen not to support the government moves. In this backdrop, the SJB, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the National People’s Power and the Tamil National Alliance have declared publicly that they would also not extend support to the new Government.
However, backroom negotiations were under way on Friday night and yesterday to bag a few opposition MPs to bring the number to above 113. One SLFP parliamentarian from the Badulla district has already said he would support Premier Wickremesinghe. Among those who are being spoken to by SLPP leaders are those from the SJB and the SLFP.
“We are confident we can produce the numbers,” claimed an SLPP stalwart – a remark dismissed by an opposition group leader. The suspense will continue till Tuesday.
| PM Ranil invites Sajith to support new govt. Prime Minister and United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday invited the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa to join hands towards a ‘partyless Government’ that would go beyond the current political framework for the country to emerge from the prevailing economic, social and political crisis. In a letter delivered to the Opposition Leader yesterday, the newly appointed Prime Minister said there was a “historic responsibility” cast upon all parties to ensure the country came out of the crisis beyond partisan politics. The signed letter stated that it was imperative that all parties got together to obtain international support by ensuring political stability in the country. Mr. Premadasa responded to the invitation within hours, stating that the SJB was willing to find a solution to the gravest crisis facing the country and was willing to support any “correct decisions” that would help ease the economic burdens of the people. His letter had annexed the two letters he had sent to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on his invitations to the SJB to join in a National Government and pointed out that the people’s demand was for an administration that was without the Rajapaksas in it. | |
(ALSO SEE POLITICAL COMMENTARY)
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!