Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament today that all arguments presented by Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne on the no-confidence motion were flawed.
Premadasa said that according to a report submitted by the Parliament Secretariat, a deputy minister is a public officeholder, and therefore there is no legal barrier to move a no-confidence motion against such a person.
He pointed out that the documents used to reject the no-confidence motion themselves contradict the Speaker’s position.
He further noted that the Attorney General’s Department has clarified that there is no legal obstacle to bring forward such motions.
Citing parliamentary traditions, Premadasa said that as per Erskine May, just as collective no-confidence motions can be moved against a government, they can also be brought against individual ministers. He questioned whether Erskine May had been properly studied before dismissing the motion.
The Opposition Leader also highlighted that in India, not only constitutional officials but also ministers and officeholders can be subjected to no-confidence motions if they lose the trust of Parliament.
He charged that the present government is now selectively invoking former Speaker Anura Bandaranaike’s practices to suit their needs, despite Bandaranaike allowing Opposition Leaders to present their views when raising such matters.
Premadasa also criticized the government benches for mocking Opposition MPs such as Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunathilaka and MP Ajith P. Perera, who presented reasoned arguments. He added that it was ironic for the government to have discussed child rights yesterday and then today accuse MPs of “talking like children,” thereby even denying them that right.
