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It was a deeply personal debate for most MPs. The properties of almost 80 parliamentarians, more than 70 of them allied to the government, had been attacked during the violence that erupted after Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) supporters of ex-PM Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful protesters at “Maina Go Gama” outside Temple Trees and “Gota Go Gama” at Galle Face on May 9.

Polonnaruwa District SLPP MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala was killed by an angry mob in Nittambuwa while Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Kalutara District MP Kumara Welgama was still in intensive care after being badly assaulted. A large number of MPs had lost their residences, vehicles and other properties. Some had been left with only the clothes on their backs. Their pain, anger and surprise at what took place were all evident in the speeches they made in the House.

Before all that however, the government was twice able to show that its parliamentary majority, while shaken, was still intact. First, it installed its nominee, Hambantota District SLPP MP Ajith Rajapakse as Deputy Speaker, defeating Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Matale District MP Rohini Kaviratne via secret ballot by 109 votes to 78. Thereafter, it successfully blocked the motion moved by Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) M.A. Sumanthiran to suspend Standing Orders to immediately take up the opposition’s Motion of Displeasure of Parliament against the President. The motion was defeated by a majority of 51 votes, with 68 votes in favour and 119 votes against.

A total of 29 houses were destroyed in the Galle District including my family home. All the others are in a far more difficult financial situation than myself. I have forgiven those who set fire to my home…our houses and properties were burned but neither the police nor the army did a thing. I don’t expect any relief from the law given what’s happening in the country." Ramesh Pathirana

Newly appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had said prior to being appointed as PM that he would vote for the motion, notably voted against it on Tuesday. While Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs led by former President Maithripala Sirisena were not present when the vote was taken, the party’s Badulla District MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake broke ranks to vote against the motion. SLPP MPs Nimal Lanza and John Seneviratne, who are part of a group of SLPP’s sitting independently in Parliament, also voted against the motion.

“Almost for 40 days, people have been camped on the road, saying ‘Gota Go Home.’ But those who call themselves people’s representatives, who come and sit here are deaf,” said Mr Sumanthiran, as he decried the “delaying tactics” employed by the government to thwart moving ahead with the debate. Pointing out that the continuous protests throughout the country for well over a month was “unprecedented” in its history, he questioned why people’s representatives were not prepared to discuss something the entire country was demanding. That shows that not just the President, but that this Parliament has also lost its legitimacy, he said.

Given this situation, Parliament must be dissolved, the TNA MP stressed. But this too will be put to a vote and MPs who are holding onto their positions will vote against that motion.

Many Government MPs meanwhile, attacked the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), represented in Parliament by the National People’s Power (NPP), of instigating mob violence targeting them. Opening the debate, SLPP Digamadulla District MP W.G. Weerasinghe accused local JVP activists of being behind the attack that destroyed his house in Ampara. Mr Weerasinghe also accused police of standing by while the mob looted and thereafter set fire to his house.

“Many of those arrested over these attacks are youth between 20 and 30 years of age. But the attacks were planned and led by the JVP,” he insisted.

Many other Government MPs who spoke afterwards repeated the same accusations about JVP involvement.

After returning to democratic politics in 1994, the JVP had never responded with violence despite many instances of its activists being murdered by thugs employed by governments in power, NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told the House, accusing the government of trying to pin the blame for the attacks on the JVP and target its activists. None of the arrested in connection to the attacks so far are from the JVP, Mr Dissanayake claimed. “We are all for an independent investigation into what happened but it should start from the beginning of the crisis,” he noted.

They are now calling on the IGP to resign. I remember telling the President during an advisory council meeting that OICs should be appointed based on merit. For example, when appointing an OIC to the Imaduwa police station, five qualified Inspectors were overlooked in favour of a junior inspector who had only been promoted several months before. I opposed this, saying that this would set a bad precedent for the entire country. But Minister Sarath Weerasekara told me that the President had instructed him that the OIC must be appointed based on Ramesh Pathirana’s letter.” Chandima Weerakkody

The violence was not simply the result of events of May 9, said Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena. The situation had been building up to that point for over a month, with MPs being threatened by crowds that congregated outside their houses. He questioned why the police, who had fired in the air to disperse a mob that tried to storm President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house in Mirihana, had not taken even that minimum step during the violence that was unleashed from May 9.

Former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa made his first appearance in Parliament on Wednesday (18). It was the first time he had been seen publicly since the disastrous events of May 9, after which he had been forced to seek shelter at the Naval Base in Trincomalee.

SLPP MP Chandima Weerakkody, now sitting with the opposition as an independent, pointed out Wednesday was the 13th anniversary of the end of the war. “He should be entering this House today as a lion,” Mr Weerakkody noted. “It pains us to see how he entered like a cat and scurried away like a mouse.”

“They are now calling on the IGP to resign. I remember telling the President during an advisory council meeting that OICs should be appointed based on merit. For example, when appointing an OIC to the Imaduwa police station, five qualified Inspectors were overlooked in favour of a junior inspector who had only been promoted several months before. I opposed this, saying that this would set a bad precedent for the entire country. But Minister Sarath Weerasekara told me that the President had instructed him that the OIC must be appointed based on Ramesh Pathirana’s letter.”

Former minister Dr Ramesh Pathirana meanwhile, dropped a bombshell, telling Parliament that Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana Wickramaratne and Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Maj.Gen. (Retired) Jagath Alwis had instructed Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon not to block SLPP supporters from marching to Galle Face.

Dr Pathirana revealed that he too had come to Temple Trees with a group of supporters that morning because he was under the impression that Mr Rajapaksa was about to step down and wanted to farewell the party faithful. “We have to accept that at the end of the meeting, several idiotic politicians among us indirectly influenced the supporters to attack ‘Gota Go Gama,’ resulting them taking to the Galle Road.”

The MP said he called SDIG Tennakoon asking him to take steps to prevent the supporters from reaching Galle Face. The officer had replied that he had put roadblocks in place and that the marchers would be stopped. However, when he reached the President’s House, he had learned that the supporters were attacking “Gota Go Gama.”

“I was among several ministers who were there when the President called SDIG Tennakoon and asked why he had not followed orders the President issued earlier that morning to prevent the supporters from reaching Galle Face. He replied the IGP had called him at 12.40 p.m. and instructed him not to fire tear gas and water cannon at the supporters. It was only after the President angrily told him that he is the President and to implement his instructions that police fired tear gas and managed to control the situation at least to this extent,” the MP stated.

He also said what NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake had stated about the Public Security Ministry Secretary also ordering SDIG Tennakoon not to obstruct SLPP supporters was correct as this had come out during evidence given before the Human Rights Commission inquiry into the matter.

“A total of 29 houses were destroyed in the Galle District including my family home. All the others are in a far more difficult financial situation than myself. I have forgiven those who set fire to my home…our houses and properties were burned but neither the police nor the army did a thing. I don’t expect any relief from the law given what’s happening in the country.”

Parliament will reconvene at 10 a.m. on June 7.