Opposition holds the trumps

Amidst controversy over the legitimacy of the Government continuing in office was challenged by a section of UPFA parliamentarians by defeating a resolution moved by the Government on Tuesday seeking the approval to issue of Treasury Bills Rs.400 billion, the much awaited debate on the 19th Amendment to the Constitution scheduled to be taken up in the House on April 9 and 10 has been postponed to April 20.

The volatile political atmosphere created on the composition of Parliament has raised doubts of seeking the support of the main Opposition UPFA to pass this important piece of legislation as they have already warned they would never vote for the Amendment unless it is coupled with electoral reforms.

President Maithripala Sirisena has shown indications of dissolving Parliament after the passage of the 19th Amendment. But the main Opposition says that if the 19th Amendment can be taken up for debate on April 20, the Parliament cannot be dissolved on April 23 as the electoral reforms have also to be taken up at the same time for which no timeframe has been set.

In order to reach a consensus on the issue, a five-member committee was appointed at the SLFP Group Meeting chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday to help push electoral reforms as the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.

At the commencement of the day's proceedings on Thursday, Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa informed House that the Supreme Court has determined that two clauses in the Bill titled 19th Amendment needed the approval of the people at a referendum while the rest of the clauses required a two-thirds majority for its passage. The court has also held that the Bill complies with the provisions of the Article 82 (1) of the Constitution and requires to be passed by special majority specified in Article 82(5) of the Constitution.

However, the issue dragged on to an extensive debate as both the Government and the Opposition members expressing their views on the point raised by UPFA parliamentarian Prof. G.L. Peiris on privileges and powers vested in Parliament on the 19th Amendment to the constitution. Prof. Peiris attempted to convince the House that the substance of the Bill was to seek transferring the powers of the President to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers. He wished to know as to how the very same sections seeking the transfer of powers had been referred for a referendum by the Supreme Court. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his reply expressed

the Government's willingness to withdraw the clauses that required a referendum at the committee stage and hoped to get others passed in Parliament.

UPFA Gampaha district parliamentarian Ven Athuraliye Rathana Thera's remarks was a clear reflection of his party's stance on the Amendment. The Ven. Thera said they had only agreed to prune certain draconian powers of the Executive Presidency and not to completely do away with it. However, the JVP welcomed the Amendment and described the contents in the Bill as positive.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his remarks pointed out there could be some technical problems, but pointed out the necessity of sort out such problems and move ahead. UPFA Colombo district MP Susil Premajayantha was very critical about an additional 12-page document submitted to the Supreme Court by the office of the Leader of the House, which the parliamentarians were not aware of.

He noted the matter discussed is the Bill that was entered in the Order Book and not the one submitted to the Supreme Court determination. MP Premajayantha argued that Parliament elected in 2010 was not given a mandate by the people to amend the

Constitution and no one has presented a manifesto to the people promising the transfer of President's powers to the Prime Minister.

The defeat of Government's resolution seeking the approval of Rs.400 billion has led to an impasse in Parliament as 52 Opposition MPs who voted against it are exerting pressure on the Government to resign on the grounds that it has no moral right to be in power when a financial Bill has been defeated in the House. The defeat was very much significant as this being the first time the incumbent Government had lost a vote in Parliament.

Before the Commencement of the debate, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who made a special statement on the Government's One-Hundred Day Program claimed that they had done more work within the 88 days than the Rajapaksa Government did during the last ten years. However, the Government's attempts to seek the support of the Opposition was all, but in vein when all the Opposition MPs except the TNA, ganged up and defeated the resolution.

After the defeat the Government legislators accused the Opposition of not honouring their pledge. The Government members described the defeat of the resolution by a group of UPFA parliamentarians as 'backstabbing' to deprive the people of their benefits.

The defeat was a clear indication of a division within the main Opposition UPFA. The majority of UPFA members who voted against the resolution were the very same faction who were agitating to oust the Opposition Leader.

If the group of UPFA MPs and the JVP MPs were eagerly waiting for the Speaker's ruling on the Opposition Leader's issue on Tuesday, their hopes were shattered as Speaker took more time to study the submissions made to him on the issue. NFF Leader MP Wimal Weerawansa who was not satisfied with Speaker's answer, wanted to know whether Speaker will keep studying the matter until Parliament is dissolved.

Speaker in his response did not give a timeframe. He proposed that it would be easier for the MPs to decide among themselves on the Opposition Leader. Kalutara district UPFA parliamentarian Kumara Welgama raising a Point of Order drew the attention of the Speaker on the affidavits handed over to him by a majority of Opposition MPs requesting him to appoint MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena as the Opposition Leader and wanted to know the Speaker's ruling on the issue.

UPFA MP Prof. G.L.Peiris said when the number of UPFA MPs who had obtained ministerial, state and deputy ministerial positions is deducted, there will be 106 MPs. Out of that number, 54 MPs have submitted affidavits to the Speaker seeking a change in the Opposition Leader and the number has now reached 60.

The Speaker who listened to the UPFA MPs levelling allegations against each other and booing inside the chamber, finally instructed UPFA General Secretary MP Susil Premjayantha to discuss with all Opposition MPs and propose the name of a suitable person for the post.

Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva who also expressed his views informed House that at the party leaders' meeting they didnot agree to vote with the UNP Government for the approval of Rs. 400 billion but had only agreed to take it up for debate.

He in his aggressive form of speech said if anyone needs the Opposition Leader's position could take it and called upon those who are attempting to oust him, not to engage in backstabbing.

UPFA Parliamentarian DEW Gunasekara who is the Chairman of Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) on Thursday presented the third report of the COPE which has conducted investigations on 29 public institutions from Oct 9, 2014 to March 6, 2015. MP Gunasekera told House, despite all their efforts, there are still five institutions which have failed to submit their annual reports to the Cabinet and Parliament, consecutively for three years. The MP said these are institutions which have earned unfavourable audit opinions repeatedly for four years.

As the highlight in the COPE report revealed that the Paddy Marketing Board had not taken action to recover Rs 507,596,775 due from eight Government institutions in 2014. The Board has also suffered a net loss of Rs 711.5 million from the export of 22,950 metric tonnes of rice to the United Arab Emirates.