Opposition targets July for PM’s no-confidence-motion

Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva addressing the media briefing yesterday – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

By Uditha Jayasinghe

Hot on the heels of the Finance Minister’s no-confidence motion, the Opposition yesterday said it would throw its weight behind bringing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s no-confidence motion to Parliament in the third week of July. 

Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva expressed confidence the next party leaders’ meeting would give a date for Wickremesinghe’s much-publicised no-confidence motion and insisted he would demand the earliest possible date.

Terming the 6 July no-confidence motion on Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake as a “victory” for the Opposition, de Silva stressed the Opposition would push for a vote at the end of the debate, which will be held at a special Monday session of Parliament.

“We feel that at a time the country is experiencing an economic crisis, it is important to debate the Ministry that is effectively in-charge of leading the country’s growth. Development projects have stalled, monies that should have been distributed by the Consolidated Fund to ministries have not taken place,” he told reporters, adding the delay of disbursing welfare handouts including assistance for senior citizens was proof the Government could not effectively run the country.

“The Government is not being held hostage and if governance was carried out competently, it would be supported by the Opposition. We are not an ‘expired’ Parliament. We received the people’s mandate for six years and that runs out in March 2016. It is expired politicians who are making irresponsible statements,” he noted.

De Silva also dismissed statements by Karunanayake that the Government has the ability to borrow more, pointing out the Finance Minister while blaming the previous administration for debt, was attempting to expand borrowings further. The delay in bringing Wickremesinghe’s and Karunanayake’s no-confidence motions to Parliament was due to the Government having the power to give priority to their business, he stressed.

He also insisted the latest 20th Amendment proposals including 237 Parliament members would be gazetted this week and denied Government accusations the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) was undermining the process. Nonetheless, the Opposition slammed minority party requests to have two ballot papers as it would “complicate” the polling process and also make it more expensive for the State.

Referring to the special committee appointed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) during a meeting held with the participation of President Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday, Opposition Parliamentarian Anura Priyadarshana Yapa went onto say it was not an attempt to increase the role of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s role in the party but rather to find a “common ground” between the different factions within the SLFP. However, he denied any statements had been made by Sirisena ruling out Rajapaksa’s involvement in future election activities.