NCM against Deputy Defence Minister can’t be accepted in its present form - Speaker

Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne announced to Parliament this morning that the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against Deputy Defence Minister Major General (Rtd.) Aruna Jayasekera "is not in order and cannot be accepted in its present form."

The NCM had been submitted to the Speaker by a group of 32 MPs in the Opposition including Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on August 12. 

Announcing his decision on the NCM, the Speaker told the House that there is no provision to bring an NCM against a Deputy Minister. "Therefore, if such a motion is to be accepted today, it would establish an undesirable precedent contrary to constitutional and parliamentary precedents," the Speaker said. 

Following is the full announcement made by the Speaker: 

"I wish to make this announcement in furtherance of the announcement made by me on 19.08.2025 regarding the Motion titled the ‘No-Confidence Motion’, submitted by a group of 32 Members of Parliament in the Opposition including the Hon. Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, on 12.08.2025 against Hon. Major General (Rtd.) Aruna Jayasekera, M.P., Deputy Minister of Defence.

I have carefully considered this motion in light of the provisions of the Constitution, the Standing Orders of the Parliament and established parliamentary practices and precedents. 

I also studied the traditions and procedures followed in other Commonwealth and democratic legislations such as UK House of Commons, India’s Lok Sabha and Australia’s House of Representatives in this regard.

Under Articles 42, 43 and 44 of the Constitution of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, collective and individual ministerial responsibility lies with the Cabinet of Ministers. A Deputy Minister, though a Member of Parliament, is not a member of the Cabinet and does not bear direct constitutional responsibility to this House in the present context. 

The Constitution clearly recognizes that no-confidence motions may be brought against the Government as a whole, while the precedent recognizes no-confidence motions against the Prime Minister, or an individual Cabinet Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. But, there is no provision for such a motion against a Deputy Minister.

Therefore, if such a motion is to be accepted today, it would establish an undesirable precedent contrary to constitutional and parliamentary precedents. 

Accordingly, having taken into consideration of all these facts, I wish to inform this House that the motion of no-confidence against the Deputy Minister of Defence is not in order and cannot be accepted in its present form."