No-confidence motions against Rajitha and Faiszer next year

Friday, 15 December 2017 02:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Alleges Health Minister caused loss of Rs. 986 million to the State due to improper tender procedures
Says Health Minister failed to corporate with authorities in corruption cases
Claims Provincial Councils Minister violated democratic practice by failing to hold elections on time

Two no-confidence motions against Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne and Provincial Council and Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha have been included in the final Order Book of Parliament this year and are to be taken up for debate next year.

The no-confidence motions were submitted by the Joint Opposition (JO) and were included in the Order Book for 11 December.

The no-confidence motion against Minister Senaratne has been signed by 39 JO MPs and states that he had “obstructed the opportunities of delivering justice by not taking part in the investigations relating to grave allegation of fraud and corruption levelled against him of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption by the Hon. Members of Parliament and other parties.”

Furthermore, the motion alleges that the Minister had “caused a financial loss of Rs. 986 million to the Government of Sri Lanka at the time when tenders were called by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation to purchase drugs required for breast cancer by making arrangements to purchase a brand of drug which had been rejected by oncologists and which had not completed the minimum number of years in use, from the recently registered Pharmaise Company (Pvt.) Limited belonging to Mr. Dilshard Ikaram Mohomad, a cousin of Mr. Rumi Mohomad whom Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senaratne, the Minister in charge of the subject, appointed as the working director of the said corporation.”

The no-confidence motion against Minister Musthapha, which was signed by 13 JO parliamentarians, claims that he as the Minister in charge of the subject of Local Government “had caused a severe effect to democracy in Sri Lanka by failing to hold the local government election despite the Election Commission being engaged in making the necessary arrangements to hold the local government elections subsequent to the authorising of such Commission by the Minister in charge of the subject of Local Government to hold the said election in Sri Lanka.”

Joint Opposition MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage told the Daily FT that they expected to debate the two motions in January once parliamentary sittings recommence. (SG)