No-faith motion against PM to be moved shortly

Signatures of MPs would be collected for the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe this week in Parliament, a senior UNP member told The Island yesterday. He said they would collect signatures of both government and Opposition members. Parliament was scheduled to meet this week and the required number of signatures could be obtained easily, he added.

The UNPer said a large number of UNP MPs and Opposition MPs had expressed their willingness to sign the motion and vote for it. The JVP MPs, too, had said they would vote against the PM.

Once the required number of signatures were collected the motion would be handed over to Speaker Karu Jaysuriya by next Friday and placed in the Order Paper of Parliament. Thereafter, the party leaders would decide on a date for the debate and the vote thereon, he said.A senior SLFP Minister told The Island the UNP rebels had sought the SLFP’s support to oust the PM.

“Although we have no intention of getting involved in the internal affairs of the UNP, this issue is different. The Prime Minister is not only from the UNP but also represent the yahapalana coalition. We, too, are members of the yahapalana government and, therefore, we have to intervene in this matter to get the government on the right track. We have information that around 30 UNP MPs are ready to sign the motion. If we, too, vote for it, then there will be a majority.”

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera last week said the SLFP’s Central Committee would make a final decision on the no-confidence motion, which was to be brought against Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. He said the SLFP would take a decision favourable to the country.

Joint Opposition MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that they would support the no-confidence motion against PM Wickremesinghe and it would be presented to Parliament soon. “Earlier, we were planning to bring a no-faith motion against the PM.”

The JVP last week said that it was ready to support the proposed no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Pelawatte said: “We are ready to back the motion if it contains specific sections against the prime minister on frauds and corruption, protecting the thieves and failing to carry out the duties of the office of the PM. But, if the motion is the outcome of a political dogfight then we will have to examine the political motives of those behind the move. In any case we need to read the content of the motion before making a final decision. It is our belief that the Prime Minister should go home or be removed over the bond scams.”