Cracks appearing in Unity Government?
UPFA MPs walk out:
 Despite the unanimous decision by the SLFP hierarchy to form a
National Unity Government with the rival UNP to promote consensual
politics for a period of two years, divisions within the SLFP- led UPFA
coalition were clearly witnessed on the floor of the House as a group of
UPFA MPs walked out of the Chamber on Wednesday (September 23)
protesting the government’s move to take up several financial Bills for
debate, which they alleged had disregarded parliamentary traditions.
Later the rebel UPFP MPs also staged a protest opposite the entrance to
Parliament against what they claimed was the undemocratic manner of
passing the financial Bills without adhering to due procedure.
When the motion was moved for debate by Finance Minister Ravi
Karunanayake, UPFA Parliamentarian Chandrasiri Gajadeera demanded that
MPs need time to study the resolutions listed in the Motion as they have
sought the approval of Parliament to allocate billions of rupees. Chief
Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake was of the opinion that the
orders were illegal and they should be referred to the Attorney General.
This led to heated arguments between government and opposition members
on the issue.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told the House that the issue of
taking up these resolutions for debate was discussed with party leaders.
The Premier said that if every single MP gave individual opinions,
parliamentary proceedings will be delayed. The Premier expressed
displeasure over the comments made by some UPFA MPs and said the MPs who
could not get up and speak on their own were like woodpeckers pecking on
trees.
A group of UPFA MPs who were ardent supporters of former President
Mahinda Rajapaksa including Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Udaya Gammanpila,
Dinesh Gunawardena, Sriyani Wijewickrama, Prasanna Ranatunga, Dilum
Amunugama, Chandrasiri Gajadheera, Parasanna Ranaweera and Indika
Anuruddha stood up and protested against what they called the Premier’s
unparliamentary language by associating names of birds and animals with
MPs.
Controversy
The MPs who shouted in the well of the House said the Government was
resorting to an undemocratic move to suspend Standing Orders and pass
several financial bills. The controversy which developed in the House,
led Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to suspend sittings for 15 minutes and call
for a party leaders’ meeting. When the House resumed sittings, the
Speaker announced that the Motion could be taken up for debate.
UPFA Parliamentarians Kumara Welgama, Namal Rajapaksa, Kanaka Herath,
Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Niroshan Premaratne who protested against
the Speaker’s ruling walked out of the Chamber when the Motion was moved
for debate. When the MPs were going out, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe
said the UPFA MPs demand a debate and the government allocates time, but
when the debate is taken up, they run away from it. “Parliament is to
hold debates not to stage walkouts,” the Premier told the House in
lighter vein that this sort of protest was known a ‘The beggars
revolution.’ They came to Parliament, thanks to SLFP votes and now they
disrupt Parliamentary proceedings, he added. The TNA and JVP members
remained in their seats and participated in the debate.
Several UPFA stalwarts including Dinesh Gunawardena, Vasudeva
Nanayakkara, Bandula Gunawardane, Chandrasiri Gajadeera, Kumara Welgama
and Udaya Gammanpila who spoke to the media during their protest outside
Parliament, criticised the Government for taking up financial orders for
debate without giving time for MPs to study them.JVP Leader and Chief
Opposition Whip, Anura Kumara Dissanayake who made a special statement
in Parliament described the controversial Avant Garde issue as a Litmus
Test faced by the incumbent government on whether they were going to
bring fraudsters to book or not.
Dissanayake said the Government had failed this Litmus Test. He told
the House that the Attorney General’s report on the Avant Garde Company
was an example that the Sri Lankan Police, prison and judiciary used
their power only on the poor and added that the laws of the land would
not be applicable to the powerful and the rich but only against the
helpless. The MP in his lengthy statement raised a series of queries and
demanded that the Prime Minister explains to Parliament what action the
latter had planned with regard to the floating armoury found in the
Galle Harbour.
Special statement
Making a special statement on the government’s position on the UNHRC
report on Sri Lanka, Premier Wickremesinghe reiterated the incumbent
government was accountable and responsible to the people and was driven
by a policy of doing the best for the people. The Premier also said that
the US was planning to bring in a resolution at UNHRC in Geneva
favourable to Sri Lanka. The Premier said the Government would wait for
the outcome and table the reports of the Udalagama and Maxwell
Paranagama Commissions in Parliament and fix a date for the debate
thereafter. The Prime Minister made a special statement on his recent
visit to India and told the House that he has invited his Indian
counterpart, Narendra Modi to visit Sri Lanka to sign the Indo-Lanka
Economic and Technological Agreement. He categorically denied discussing
a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with India during his
tour. Public Order and Prisons Reforms Minister, Tilak Marapana who made
a special statement on the killing of Seya Sadewmi informed the House
that Cabinet will set up a special committee to investigate crimes
against women and children and make recommendations to Cabinet. The
Minister said three police teams were deployed in investigations since
the day the girl went missing. The Minister was responding to a query
raised by Chief Opposition Whip, Anura Kumara Dissanayake who demanded
to know as to what has happened to the special court system to expedite
cases of rape and murder of women and children that was pledged by
President Maithripala Sirisena soon after the rape and murder of Jaffna
student S. Vithya.
Three new MPs were sworn in before Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Tuesday
(September 22). They were UNP Kalutara District MP Palitha
Thevarapperuma, UPFA Badulla District MP Lakshman Senewiratne and JVP
National List MP Bimal Ratnayake. |
