Joint Opposition to take Gammanpila arrest before IPU

By Chamodi Gunawardana

The Joint Opposition plans to lodge a complaint to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva again on disregarding Parliamentary privileges of Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila by remanding him, MP Bandula Gunawardena said yesterday. 

He made this observation during the Joint Opposition MPs’ visit to Welikada prison to see MP Gammanpila who was arrested over the weekend. Gunawardena claimed the Government has been following a ‘political witch hunt’ to discredit the ‘real Opposition’ which has strong public support.   

A group of Joint Opposition MPs including its Leader Dinesh Gunawardana, MPs Bandula Gunawardena, Dallas Alahapperuma, Gamini Lokuge, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Kumara Welgama were seen at Welikada Prison last morning, to visit MP Udaya Gammanpila who is imprisoned 

– Pic by Nisal Baduge

“However we will not be silent or give up politics. We will stand for Gammanpila’s rights,” he said.  

Two months ago three members of the Joint Opposition including MPs Gunawardena and Gammanpila went to Geneva to meet IPU General Secretary Martin Chungong to discuss alleged difficulties faced by them in Parliament. 

“One of the MPs complained to IPU of the step-motherly treatment of the Government towards the Joint Opposition and now he is in prison. We believe it is time to lobby the IPU again,” he noted. 

Speaking to reporters, Joint Opposition Leader Dinesh Gunawardana branded Gammanpila’s arrest as a ‘political conspiracy’ of the Government. 

“The Government has violated the Parliamentary ethics and privileges of both a party leader and a lawyer. This shows how much the Government fears the Joint Opposition led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa,” he charged.

Gammanpila was arrested on Saturday by the Police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and remanded till 1 July by the Fort Magistrate over a complaint that he had used an allegedly fraudulent Power of Attorney to sell shares of an Australian company.