Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne adjourned Parliament for 10 minutes today, following a tense situation.

Parliament was adjourned after the opposition staged a protest in the chamber against the Speaker’s decision on the No-Confidence Motion submitted against the Deputy Minister of Defence, Aruna Jayasekara.

The protesting opposition MPs demanded that the Attorney General’s advice and other reports pertaining to the matter be tabled in Parliament.

A tense situation arose when Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake attempted to make a statement on the matter, with several opposition MPs disrupting his speech.

The Speaker then adjourned the Parliament and left his seat, even after which opposition MPs were seen staging a protest in the centre of the Chamber. 

The opposition comes after the Speaker yesterday announced 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. 

The No-Confidence Motion against Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara was submitted to the Speaker by a group of opposition MPs in August this year.

The No-Confidence Motion was submitted, citing serious concerns over his alleged involvement and conflict of interest in the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. (Newswire)

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A no-confidence motion (NCM) against Deputy Defence Minister Major General (Retired) Aruna Jayasekara has been submitted to the Speaker of Parliament by opposition parties.

Although the motion was scheduled to be handed over yesterday, it was postponed to today as the Speaker was in Polonnaruwa.

The Opposition decided to submit to Parliament the No-Confidence Motion against Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara, 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, 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.

The motion urges Parliament to remove Jayasekara from his ministerial post, arguing that public and institutional confidence in the investigation process cannot be restored while he remains in office. 

Aruna Jayasekara, a retired Major General, was appointed to Parliament via the National List in November 2024 and later named Deputy Minister of Defence. (Newswire)

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The Opposition has decided to submit to Parliament a No-Confidence Motion against Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara, citing serious concerns over his alleged involvement and conflict of interest in the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.

The motion, addressed to the Speaker, alleges that Jayasekara violated the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament, including sections related to acting with integrity and earning public trust. The signatories assert that he has failed to uphold public responsibility, particularly in his current role overseeing the Ministry of Defence.

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. 

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is reportedly investigating these incidents, including questioning military officers who served under his command at the time.

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.

The motion references statements by Catholic Church leaders, including Reverend Father Cyril Gamini, questioning the credibility of the investigations. It also highlights remarks made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake acknowledging challenges in probing the attack from within the government itself.

Jayasekara, a retired Major General, was appointed to Parliament via the National List in November 2024 and later named Deputy Minister of Defence. During a July 2025 parliamentary session, he admitted that a small group of intelligence and state officials had been misused for political ends, a comment now cited as evidence of his deeper knowledge of internal state conspiracies.

The motion concludes by urging Parliament to remove Jayasekara from his ministerial post, arguing that public and institutional confidence in the investigation process cannot be restored while he remains in office. (Newswire)

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