Debate on NCM against Govt. begins

The debate on the No-Confidence Motion (NCM)  against the Government submitted by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) commenced in Parliament a short while ago.

By Sandun Jayawardana

The debate on the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against the Government submitted by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) commenced in Parliament a short while ago.

Opening the debate, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake asserted that the Government has failed to ensure the security of the country's people, as evidenced by the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Moreover, it has now been clearly established that the Government failed to heed numerous warnings about an impending terrorist attack by Zahran Hashim and his associates, he insisted.  

It is abundantly clear that the Government is guilty of "criminal negligence" in failing to heed warnings from the intelligence community and Muslim organizations regarding Zahran and his group, the JVP Leader stressed. 

Accordingly, the Government has no moral right to be in charge of the security of the country or its people, he said. 

He pointed out that what was in power now was a minority Government, with just 106 MPs sitting on the Government side while 118 MPs were in the Opposition. He called on Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa to ensure that all United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MPs were present in Parliament when the vote on the NCM is taken up tomorrow (11). 

He also called on Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Leader R. Sampanthan to also ensure that the TNA votes in support of the NCM. 

"Given that just 106 MPs sit in the Government and 118 MPs in the Opposition, there should be no problem in passing this No Confidence Motion if there are no underhand dealings," the JVP Leader remarked. 

However, Mr Dissanayake emphasized that there was no room for any new Government if the NCM were to pass. "After the NCM is approved, this Parliament has a duty to pass another resolution by a 2/3 majority dissolving this Parliament and paving the way for an early General Election so that the people can elect a new Government. It is what the people deserve," he noted.