16 SLFP MPs officially request seats in Opposition

• Submits letter to Parliament Secretariat requesting seats in Opposition

By Skandha Gunasekara

The 16 rebel Sri Lanka Freedom Party MPs have officially requested from the Parliament Secretariat to facilitate positions for them to be seated in the Opposition in Parliament. 

Secretary General of Parliament W. B. D. Dasanayake told the Daily FT that the group of SLFP MPs had made an official submission in the form of a letter.

“The group submitted a letter asking to be accommodated in the Opposition. We are carrying out the necessary steps do so,” Dasanayake said. 

The Secretary General went on to say that when Parliament meets next, on 8 May, the 16 SLFP-ers would be sitting in the Opposition.  The 16 SLFP MPs, namely Dayasiri Jayasekara, S. B. Dissanayake, Susil Premajayantha, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Chandima Weerakkody, T. B. Ekanayake, W. D. J. Seneviratne, Thilanga Sumathipala, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Dilan Perera, Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Anuradha Jayaratne, Susantha Punchinilame, Lakshman Wasantha Perera, Tharanath Basnayake and Sumedha G. Jayasena, voted in favour of the No-Confidence Motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe..

Subsequently, the UNP, particularly its backbencher MPs, called for the removal of the MPs who voted in favour of the motion from the Government, claiming they had no ethical right to remain in a Government they voted against. 

Thereafter, the SLFP-ers informed their Party leader President Maithripala Sirisena that they would sit in the Opposition independently but would remain as SLFP-ers.