Colombo, November 18 (newsin.asia): At a meeting held here on Sunday chaired by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, it was decided to let leaders of political parties represented in parliament to decide how a No confidence Motion (NCM) against Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa should be proceeded with, according to Shiral Lakthilaka a top official in the President’s Office.
The President told the leaders assembled, who included Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, that parliament will have to adopt a “tangible”,verifiable and legally acceptable away of conducting the proceedings.
According to the President’s Media Division, the President requested that the voting on the NCM should be held by calling out the names of the members and by a show of hands. Alternatively, the electronic voting system should be used.
Parliament cannot repeat the confused and rough and ready way adopted on November 14 and 16 when the NCM was moved and voted upon.
“Everybody knew that the Rajapaksa government did not have majority but this had to be established credibly by following the set procedure, “ Lakthilaka said.
The set procedure was flouted, the Standing Orders were suspended and the voice vote was adopted without giving the MPs time to study the NCM and debate it.
When asked, the Speaker said that the formal procedure could not be followed because of the violence and pandemonium caused by government MPs.
Parliament is to meet on Monday and it is expected that the party leaders will meet and work out an agreed solution.
Parliament has to start functioning soon as the Vote on Account has to be passed without which government will not be able to pay its staff salaries.
Sunday’s meeting was boycotted by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya opted out of it.
Source: NwesinAsia
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