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Parliament

TNA rails against Speaker

There are two Opposition Leaders in the current Parliament, TNA Leader R.Sampanthan told Parliament yesterday.

The TNA Leader making a special statement said that Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has not removed him from the Opposition Leader'S post though he announced about the appointment of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Opposition Leader on Tuesday.

Sampanthan also pointed out that it is alleged that former President Rajapaksa’s Parliament seat has fallen vacant as one month has lapsed since he ceased to be a member of the SLFP after obtaining the SLPP membership.

“The person recognized by the Speaker as the Opposition Leader does not even hold the position of MP as of the date of such recognition. This again suggests the Speaker’s decision has been taken in haste and it is in violation of our Constitution,” said Sampanthan.

He pointed out that the Speaker recognized him as the Opposition Leader in September 2015 and August 2018 and that the Speaker held that it was his final decision.

He further said that there is no need to recognize another person as the Opposition Leader in haste in a context where Cabinet is not yet constituted and Government is not yet formed.

The TNA Leader also held the view that appointing a member of the UPFA as the Opposition Leader while its Leader Maithripala Sirisena is the Head of Executive, Head of Government and Head of Cabinet is incongruous and such matters must be sorted out through a Parliament Select Committee.

“I urge early corrective action, in the interest of the country as a whole, be taken to preserve the sanctity of our Constitution,” he told the House.

Following Sampanthan’s submission, TNA MP M.A.Sumanthiran tabled three newspaper articles on November 12 which carried the story of former President Rajapaksa ceremonially obtaining the SLPP membership on November 11.

He pointed out this event was held two days after the purported dissolution of Parliament by the President.

UPFA MP Susil Premajayantha making his submission said former President Rajapaksa has neither resigned from the UPFA/SLFP nor he was expelled from the party.

He also held that the Speaker has no authority to appoint a Parliament Select Committee for the above mentioned matter as per the provisions in the existing Constitution.

He said that there is no evidence to claim that Rajapaksa obtained the SLPP membership except few newspaper reports. At this point, Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella asked Premajayantha as to whether he obtained the SLPP membership or not. Premajantha denied obtaining the SLPP membership.

However Chief Government Whip Gayantha Karunathilake showed to the House the photos of the former President and his fellow MPs obtaining the SLPP membership.

SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem pointed out that Parliament is in chaos again as Sampanthan challenges the Speaker’s announcement over the appointment of Opposition Leader. “Former President Rajapaksa became the former Prime Minister and now he has become a former MP. Once you obtain the membership of another party, automatically your membership ceases. This will be proven before a Parliament Select Committee. One of the most popular political leaders in this country has been made a political orphan. Unfortunately, that is what you have done,” he said.

However, TNA Leader Sampanthan did not assume the seat allocated to the Opposition Leader yesterday and was seen seated on a front row seat near the main entrance. The seat allocated to the Opposition Leader remained empty. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was absent. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s ruling on the Opposition Leader post is due tomorrow.


Country needs new Constitution - Eran

UNP MP Eran Wickremeratne participating in the Adjournment Motion on the abolition of the Executive Presidency said that he hopes that President Maithripala Sirisena, putting the country first, would cooperate with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in appointing the Cabinet and assist in the process to bringing the country back to normal.

Wickremeratne also said that the draft of the new Constitution should be presented and taken up for debate without allowing others to make boogey-men out of it.

He also said the country need a Constitution that is agreeable to everybody and which treats all communities in an equal manner. Wickremeratne said there were “Jumbo-Cabinets” in Sri Lanka and a small country like this does not need such a large Cabinet. Wickremeratne also said that they are dedicated to working without destroying the hopes of the innocent people who flocked to Galle Face Green recently to celebrate the re-establishment of democracy in the country.

“Without a proper foundation, we cannot erect a strong building. From 1978, we have been amending the Constitution, but anymore amendments will not do. We need to put up a strong foundation for the betterment of our future generation,” Wickremeratne pointed out.

He also said that some President's who promised to abolish the Executive Presidency attempted to keep that position for a life time.

Quoting from the “Mahinda-Chinthana 2005 and 2010,” Wickremeratne pointed out that the Executive Presidency has been used to postpone elections, ban political parties, topple legal governments, pardon murderers and promote an assassination culture.

According to Wickremeratne, Rajapaksa in his election manifestos has promised to make the Executive Presidency answerable to Parliament and would participate in Parliament sessions once a month.

Wickremeratne pointed out that Maithripala Sirisena’s manifesto states that the Executive Presidency will be abolished in keeping with the vision of Ven.Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera.


JVP urges MPs to support abolition of Executive Presidency

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) MP Bimal Ratnayake joining the Adjournment motion in Parliament yesterday, urged all members of Parliament to support the move to abolish the Execute Presidency which gave excessive power to an individual, which is detrimental to the country.

He said they are amused to witness the Opposition Members, who tried to throw chillie powder and fling chairs at the Speaker, praising him when he appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Opposition Leader.

“During the past three years, we saw members of the Rajapaksa clan playing double games as they are seen with Mahinda Rajapaksa during the day and at night, they are with President Maithripala Sirisena in the hope of obtaining benefits from both sides. We objected to their double standards on the basis that they should either be in the Opposition or with the Government, but not playing both sides. We were criticized claiming that we were supporting the UNP, but we are not a party which could be influenced by any side. We take our own independent decisions. We have a strong stand and we discuss matters, while taking appropriate action.”

Referring to the Rajapaksa camp as a shameless group who abused the Speaker in the most despicable language, Bimal said it was amusing to watch how they are now praising the Speaker and claiming that the Speaker’s decision is final. Hence, he asked the UPFA members to kneel down and worship the Speaker and plead for forgiveness.

He noted that the people’s power should not be underestimated. “Today the peoples' power is evident when we see the manner by which Mahinda Rajapaksa lost his premiership and how he is now struggling to hold onto his post as the Opposition Leader and even his Parliamentary membership. The Rajapaksa clan, just like leaders of the other party as well, always acted to hold onto power. Hence, they always took hasty decisions,” he said, adding that the President got himself into a mess by trying to hastily dissolve Parliament.

Ratnayake noted that two days after Parliament was dissolved, Mahinda Rajapaksa got SLPP membership and now he is facing a pathetic situation. “Now he is making all excuses and even stating that he did not take SLPP membership. These are utter lies. One must have a backbone when doing such things. They made a big show when they took SLPP membership by putting it up on twitter, FB and other social media. Now they are denying that they took membership in another party. They have no backbone at all.”

He said the Rajapaksas had used State media and certain private media to promote their news. But he said they were not aware that social media and the peoples’ conscience is much more powerful. They failed to see this and thought they could influence the people through these handful of media institutions.

Commenting on the Executive Presidency, he said the UNF is now trying to get together with the President and even bribe members from the Opposition and form a government.

“But that is not relevant to us. We said in our road map that even the current government had no ethical right to be here as they have now taken in the same rogues and based on such grounds, we need to go for an election. But now the President had apparently said that ministerial posts would not be given to those who crossed over from his camp. This is also not a good thing. If anyone crosses over to the President’s camp from any party, he has the right to give them ministerial posts, but when they cross over to the other UNF camp, he won’t. Hence, there are many reasons why the Executive Presidency should be abolished. The powers of the Presidency should be used for the benefit of the country, but today it is evident that it is being used for his own benefit. But today we have the weakest President in the entire history of this country. He does not have Parliamentary support nor the vote base. But based on just the provisions of the Constitution, see what a lot of destruction he could do just to safeguard his position. Therefore, we suggest that power should be vested under a Prime Minister (be it Wickremesinghe or otherwise), he should maintain that 113 on a daily basis.

He said after 1977, when there were only the two main parties, they always received the majority. But after 1994, no party got the majority except in 2010. Hence, the political reality is that the majority can only be obtained through coalitions. Therefore, under a Premiership, the government would have to obtain the support of other parties, no matter who the Prime Minister is he will have to listen.”

Hence, he urged all Parliamentarians to support the move to abolish this executive Presidency which is a cancer that destroys democracy.


Ven. Rathana Thera, MP Hettiarachchi clash in House

A heated argument broke out between Independent MP Ven.Athuraliye Rathana Thera and UNP MP Wijepala Hettiarachchi in Parliament yesterday.

The argument broke out towards the end of Adjournment Debate on the abolition of the Executive Presidency. Ven. Rathana Thera intervening in the speech of MP Hettiarachchi said President Maithripala Sirisena's policy statement clearly mentioned that he would not make any Constitutional changes that require a referendum.

MP Hettiarachchi said that the President on numerous occasions had pledged to abolish the Executive Presidency.

“If late Ven. Sobitha thera was alive, he would curse you. You could come to Parliament because the UNP accommodated you. We should put a full stop to the crossovers. You had been in the Government enjoying all the privileges and then switched allegiance. I am also a good Buddhist who had passed the Dharmacharya exam,” Hettiarachchi said.

Ven. Rathana thera replied that he did not receive any privileges from the government and did not do any injustice to the UNP. He said that his principle is to object to what is wrong and support what is good.


Motion to increase number of ministers

There had been discussions in the UNP to present a motion to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to increase the number of ministers to 35.

A senior UNP MP said that there had been discussions on forming a National Government again with the support of a group of SLFP MPs.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution restricts the number of ministries to 30 and this number can only be increased with the approval of the House when a National Government is formed.


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