Inaugural session of the 8th Parliament:

The beginning of a new political culture

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

The first session of the eighth Parliament convened on Tuesday (September 1) has paved the way for a new political culture sans petty political differences with the historic decision by the UNP and the SLFP to form a national government and govern the country through consensus for two years.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya accompanying President Maithripala Sirisena and Jayanthi Siresena to the inaugral session of the Eighth Parliament

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe being greeted by the Speaker on arrival

The President inaugrates the Eighth Parliament

The Government’s Policy Statement presented by President Maithripala Sirisena at the inaugural session was a clear reflection to replace the traditional culture of shifting power between two major contending parties and forming a National Unity Government during his tenure.

President Maithripala Sirisena, in his address called upon all parliamentarians to focus attention and find ways and means to reinforce the on-going efforts to reach a consensus in keeping with the accord signed between the two major parties.

The composition had many new faces from both major political parties, the UNP and the UPFA as over 60 former parliamentarians including many party heavyweights who contested the August 17 General Election failed to enter Parliament. However, some defeated UPFA candidates got the opportunity to re-enter Parliament through the UPFA National List. There were clear divisions on the composition of the Government and Opposition ranks, while the opposition ranks looked much stronger, with 95 UPFA members, 16 TNA and 6 JVP members.

The UNP led with 106 members, government ranks comprised several political parties, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC), the National Union of Workers (NUW) and the Democratic People’s Front (DPF) which aligned with the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) to contest the August 17 General Election under the UNFGG banner.

The opposition benches were represented by the SLFP- led United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) which secured 95 seats along with its constituent parties, National Freedom Front (NFF), Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), Communist Party (CP), Democratic Left Front (DLF) and Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC). Moreover, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which obtained 16 seats and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which secured six seats are also in the Opposition.

UNP Parliamentarian Karu Jayasuriya and UPFA Parliamentarian, Thilanga Sumathipala were unanimously elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker while TNA MP Selvam Adaikkalanathan was elected Deputy Chairman of Committees.

Accompanied

MP Jayasuriya was accompanied to the Chair by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and SLFP Group Leader, Nimal Siripala de Silva.

Thereafter, all party leaders including Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe extended their good wishes to the Speaker. Former President and UPFA Kurunegala District MP, Mahinda Rajapaksa was also in the Chamber at the inaugural session and was present when the House resumed sittings at 3.00pm to deliver the government’s policy statement by the President. He took a front row seat in the Opposition between SLFP Group Leader, Nimal Siripala de Silva and MP Dr. Sarath Amunugama.

Government legislators expressed displeasure over the remarks by Colombo District UPFA parliamentarian, Udaya Gammanpila who misused the opportunity given to him to congratulate the Speaker.

Gammanpila’s remarks turned the House into an uproar when he said that some of those who had taken up arms against the Security Forces in the past, were now in Parliament and would attempt to use the parliamentary forum to propagate their separatist ideologies.

Objection

Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe objected to some of the derogatory remarks by MP Gammanpila.

The Premier pointed out that although Gammanpila was not a party leader, he was given the opportunity to wish the Speaker and he should not have abused this opportunity. Speaker Jayasuriya who gave his first warning, called on the MP to confine his speech to a congratulatory message.

Despite the UNP and SLFP having agreed to form a consensual government, the appointment of TNA Leader, R. Sampanthan as Opposition Leader created divisions in the UPFA as some of its coalition partners expressed vehement opposition by giving it to the TNA.

NFF Leader and UPFA Colombo District parliamentarian, Wimal Weerawansa who raised a point of order, drew the attention of the House about a letter signed by 56 UPFA MPs which was handed over to UPFA Leader, President Maithripala Sirisena requesting that MP Kumara Welgama be appointed Opposition Leader and UPFA MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage as Chief Opposition Whip.

The premier told rebel UPFA MPs that if they wished to challenge the Speaker’s decision, they would have to bring a substantial motion and added that those who made a big hue and cry in the Chamber should have taken up the matter when they met the President in Polonnaruwa on September 2. Later, MP Udaya Gammanpila told a media conference at the Parliamentary complex that there were enough past experiences as to how Amirthalingam capitalized that position to promote anti-Sri Lankan activities and propagate Tamil nationalism.

Meanwhile, TNA party sources also confirmed that they had agreed to JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake being appointed Chief Opposition Whip.

However, according to accepted procedure, the post of Chief Opposition Whip should go to the party to which the Opposition Leader’s post was held. Yet, the TNA decided to give that opportunity to the JVP.

The resolution moved by the Prime Minister seeking the approval of the House to increase the number of Ministers from 30 to 48 was passed in Parliament with a majority of 127 votes- 143 votes were in favour and 16 against, while 63 MPs were absent at the time of voting.

At the end of the debate, JVP leader, Dissanayake called for a division by name. The vote was clear testimony of the division within the UPFA, as a large number of UPFA MPs who took the lead in the ‘bring back Mahinda’ campaign were absent at the time of voting. The UNP, government coalition parties and a section of UPFA MPs voted for the resolution. Sixteen UPFA parliamentarians along with five JVP MPs voted against the resolution. Prior to the debate on the resolution, a controversy broke out on the floor of the House due to a point of order being raised by JVP leader, Anura Kumara Dissnayake who said that the resolution moved by the Prime Minister was unconstitutional.

When the resolution was moved, the JVP and several other coalition partners of the UPFA opposed it on several grounds. The JVP leader said that according to the provisions of the 19th Amendment, a national government meant a government comprising all parties in parliament. Therefore, merely because a couple of parties enter into an agreement to form a government, it could not be construed as a national government. This led to both government and opposition members adducing various arguments to consolidate their positions.MEP leader, Dinesh Gunawardena said the SLFP was not represented in this Parliament and that it was the UPFA. Hence he requested the Speaker to give a ruling on this matter.

Thereupon the Speaker suspended sittings for 10 minutes to deliver his ruling. When the House resumed sittings, Speaker Jayasuriya told the House that according to the provisions of the 19th Amendment, the party which obtains the highest number of votes could form a national government with other parties and that the resolution moved by the Prime Minister was consistent with the Constitution and could be taken up for debate.

Fair mandate

JVP National List MP, Sarath Mayadunne on Thursday (September 3) resigned from his post after making a speech in Parliament. Mayadunne told the House that the JVP had not received a fair mandate from the people and voters should have sent more JVP members to Parliament as it is the only party with politicians who have no corruption charges against them and had not abused power.

However, voters did not do so. The election results are a clear reflection that people considered corruption and other acts of misconduct of the two major parties as trivial and voters had not rejected those who swindled public funds and indulged in corruption.