The No-Confidence Motion (NCM) brought against Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara was defeated in Parliament today (24) by a majority of 116 votes.

A total of 152 MPs voted against the NCM, while 36 MPs voted in favour, and 0 abstentions.

The motion was brought by the Opposition over the recent controversy surrounding the Negombo Prison.

The Opposition formally handed over a no‑confidence motion against Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara to Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne in Parliament on July 22.

The motion comes in direct response to the Negombo Prison unrest on July 5 and 6, where clashes left a number of prison officers and inmates dead and several others seriously injured. 

The Opposition argues that Minister Nanayakkara failed to fulfill his responsibility and accountability for ensuring the safety of those in custody.

During the debate on the NCM today, Opposition MPs criticised the Justice Minister over his handling of the matter and called for him to take responsibility.

Government MPs defended Nanayakkara, arguing that holding the Minister responsible for the incident was unjustified and questioning the basis for bringing a NCM against him. (Newswire)

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Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, together with Opposition MPs, today signed a No‑Confidence Motion (NCM) in Parliament against Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara.

The move comes in response to the unrest at Negombo Prison, where both prison officers and inmates were killed.

Opposition members said the Minister had failed to fulfill his responsibility and accountability regarding their safety.

According to the Opposition group, the NCM seeks to hold the Minister directly accountable for lapses in ensuring protection within the prison system. (Newswire)

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The Parliamentary debate on the No-Confidence Motion submitted against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody will be held in April.

The Parliamentary Business Committee has decided to hold the debate on April 10 from 11.30 am to 05.30 pm. 

The Opposition today (19) submitted a No‑Confidence Motion against Minister of Energy Kumara Jayakody to the Speaker of Parliament.

The motion reportedly claims the Minister of Energy has failed to discharge his primary duty to ensure the procurement of sufficient and quality coal for the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai, and that such gross negligence in overseeing a critical national energy asset constitutes a fundamental breach of the responsibility of a minister. 

They also point out that the Minister of Energy has been formally charged before the Colombo High Court by the Bribery Commission for allegedly committing an ‘‘act of corruption’‘ while serving as the Procurement Manager of the Ceylon Fertilizer Company Limited. (Newswire)

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Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Ratnayake, says the government is prepared to allocate time during parliament sessions this week to debate the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) being prepared by the opposition against Prime Minister and Education Minister Harini Amarasuriya. 

Addressing the Parliament today, Minister Ratnayake said that the government was willing to allocate the Parliament sessions scheduled for 22 and 23 January completely for the NCM. 

“News that an NCM is being prepared against the PM and the premiership is a very serious matter. We feel it is an issue if an NCM has been prepared, with signatures being obtained, but not being submitted. We would like to know if the opposition is going to submit the NCM or not,” he said. 

Responding to the minister, Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunatileke informed Parliament that it was a matter related to the opposition, which will be decided after holding the necessary discussions. 

Minister Bimal Ratnayake then urged the opposition to submit the NCM against PM Harini Amarausiya, pointing out that this affects the country’s stability. (Newswire)

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A tense situation arose in Parliament today when Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa raised concerns over the Speaker’s decision on the No Confidence Motion (NCM) submitted against the Deputy Minister of Defence, Aruna Jayasekara.

Addressing the Parliament today, Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne said that there is no provision in the Constitution for a No-Confidence Motion against a Deputy Minister, and as such, the motion is not in order and cannot be accepted in its present form. 

Commenting on the decision, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa noted that parliamentary conventions such as those outlined in Erskine May and Kaul & Shakdher mention that while Standing Orders do not explicitly address the status of a Deputy Minister as part of the Executive, this silence does not imply that a no-confidence motion cannot be brought forward.

He pointed out that even though there is no specific mention of such motions against ministers in the Standing Orders, the absence of reference should not be interpreted as a prohibition.

“According to Article 46(1) of the Constitution, a Deputy Minister exercises executive powers, and therefore, bringing a no-confidence motion is a recognized practice under the Westminster tradition. Furthermore, under Article 45(3), there is constitutional scope to present such a motion within a broader legal framework,” MP Premadasa emphasized.

He further said that if the Speaker refers to established parliamentary precedents, it would be possible to bring a no-confidence motion against a Deputy Minister. 

MP Premadasa urged that the Attorney General’s advice and reports provided by the secretarial staff be tabled and utilized, and that the Opposition be granted the opportunity to present its position to Parliament. 

A group of Opposition MPs submitted the No-Confidence Motion against Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara to the Speaker in August this year, citing serious concerns over his alleged involvement and conflict of interest in the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

The motion raises alarm over Jayasekara’s role as the Commander of the Security Force (East) during key incidents linked to the Easter attacks, such as the Vavunathivu police killings and the Sainthamaruthu explosion. (Newswire)

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Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Jagath Wickramaratne, has informed that the opposition’s motion of No-Confidence against the Deputy Minister of Defence, Aruna Jayasekara, is not in order and cannot be accepted in its present form. 

Addressing the Parliament today, Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne said under Articles 42, 43 and 44 of the Constitution, collective and individual ministerial responsibility lies with the Cabinet of Ministers. 

He pointed out that 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 Speaker further said that there is no provision in the Constitution for a No-Confidence Motion against a Deputy Minister.

“If such a motion is to be accepted today, it would establish an undesirable precedent contrary to constitutional and parliamentary precedents. Having taken into consideration 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,” he concluded. 

A group of Opposition MPs submitted the No-Confidence Motion against Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara to the Speaker in August this year. 

The Opposition submitted the No-Confidence Motion against the Deputy Minister of Defence, citing serious concerns over his alleged involvement and conflict of interest in the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

The motion raises alarm over Jayasekara’s role as the Commander of the Security Force (East) during key incidents linked to the Easter attacks, such as the Vavunathivu police killings and the Sainthamaruthu explosion. 

The full statement of Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne;

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. (Newswire)

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Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Rohana Bandara says the opposition has acknowledged that there are issues in bringing forth a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against a Deputy Minister.

Speaking to the media, MP Rohana Bandara said measures are being taken to address this issue and submit allegations against Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara through an alternative approach.

“We know this NCM might not be won. We were focused on raising awareness of this matter in society,” he added.

MP Rohana Bandara made the remarks in connection with the NCM that was submitted against Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara by opposition parties.

The government and some law experts have argued that a No-Confidence Motion cannot be brought against a Deputy Minister. But SJB members have responded that such a motion could be presented.

Last week, the Opposition handed over the NCM against Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara to Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne, who is to announce his opinion on the matter tomorrow (19 Aug).

The Opposition decided to submit the No-Confidence Motion, citing serious concerns over Jayasekara’s alleged involvement and conflict of interest in the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

The motion raises alarm over Jayasekara’s role as the Commander of the Security Force (East) during key incidents linked to the Easter attacks, including the Vavunathivu police killings and the Sainthamaruthu explosion, both considered pivotal moments in the lead-up to the bombings.

It further states that a potential conflict of interest exists as Jayasekara, now holding a powerful position in the Ministry of Defence, may influence subordinates or witnesses involved in the ongoing probes, risking impartiality. (Newswire)

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Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara has rejected former minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s claims that the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) presented to Parliament against suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon was unconstitutional. 

Speaking during a televised interview, Minister Nanayakkara said that former minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has wrongly interpreted several key facts, explaining that the Supreme Court has only issued orders preventing Deshabandu Tennakoon from executing his duties as the IGP.

“The FR before the Supreme Court challenges Tennakoon’s appointment on the grounds that it was unlawful. The Supreme Court in no way has said that he is not the IGP. It has only prevented him from executing his duties in that designation. This ruling has been given as he is considered the IGP. This case is solely on the grounds of unlawful appointment. This defeats Wijeyadasa’s claims that Tennakoon is not the IGP,” he said.

The Justice Minister further explained that, on the other hand, the NCM has been submitted against Deshabandu Tennakoon’s misconduct.

“The FR at the Supreme Court is on Tennakoon’s unlawful appointment, while the NCM is against his conduct. Therefore, this is not considered sub judice. This entire case is different. This again proves that Wijeyadasa’s claim is wrong. Therefore, as the government, what we have done is correct,” he said. 

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said that the NCM is being taken forward based on legal advice. 

His comments came after Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, during a recent media briefing, said the NCM has been submitted at a time when the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has issued an order determining that Deshabandu Tennakoon does not hold the post of IGP. 

“An NCM can be submitted only against someone holding the post of IGP. The Supreme Court has already issued an order determining that Deshabandu Tennakoon was not the IGP. Therefore, the Speaker accepting the NCM is unconstitutional,” he said. 

Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe further said that a Supreme Court judge would be required to be appointed to the committee investigating corruption allegations against Deshabandu Tennakoon.

“While the Supreme Court itself has determined that Deshabandu Tennakoon is not the IGP, on the other hand, an investigation will be conducted to remove him from the post. This is an act that does not have any legal backing,” he said, adding that the move undermines both the Parliament and the judiciary.

A resolution to appoint a committee of inquiry for the removal of suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon was handed over to the Speaker of Parliament, Jagath Wickramaratne, on 25 March 2025. 

The resolution was signed by 115 Members of Parliament. (Newswire)

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