Ten days to the debate on the motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) remain undecided.
The SLFP, the major partner of Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) in the ‘Yahapalana’ Government, despite much braggadocio over ousting him and forming a new Government immediately after the February 10 election debacle, is yet to state its position. While some senior SLFP ministers have made ambiguous statements which indicate that the party could vote either way, no firm decision has been taken, according to sources close to the party leadership.
The JHU, which contested the August 2015 General Election in a coalition with the UNP, similarly is said to be ‘watching the situation within the UNP closely,’ and has not announced its stand. JHU Leader Patali Champika Ranawaka, for example, has predicted that the motion was bound to fail, but said that there’s a lot of wrongs that need to be righted through ‘a reform package for economic, social and political reform.’
Possibly referring to the leadership crisis in the UNP, Ranawaka said ‘we have to bring in those young, who have the expertise to put matters right; simply clinging on to existing positions and ignoring realities will be a serious mistake.’
While the TNA too has remained silent on the matter, sources close to Wickremesinghe are confident that they will not side with the Joint Opposition (JO), at worse choosing to abstain from voting.
The JVP has stated that it will support the motion. Interestingly, however, only 50 of the 54 MPs who are officially with the JO have signed the motion. On the other hand only a little over 80 of the 106 UNP MPs signed a letter supporting their leader.
There is also speculation that newly sworn-in Minister of Law and Order Ranjith Madduma Bandara could be the new Prime Minister in the event that the motion passes and Wickremesinghe chooses to resign. According to the 19th Amendment a vote of no-confidence has no binding effect on the position of the Prime Minister.
Thondamany / March 26, 2018
Desperate Sinhalaya……….. I too hate our folks as they still want Ranil who aided and abetted to rob the Central Bank in broad daylight in under 40 days of being appointed Prime Minister.
4 time prime Minister, what has he done for the Country? Nothing, other than being a cunning political schemer who suppressed the 02nd tier UNP’ers.
Finally, lost his political clout of being Mr. Clean and end up as being Mr. Dirty. What hara kiri !!!
In the midst overtaking the Rajapakshes to the post in just under 40 days.
JHU & TNA…..will develop chest pains agonising over it. ??????? SLFP is wagging the tail…. Ranil or no Ranil… HE MUST GO & leave the party to the young brigade. They are fast learners o/w UNP is doomed.
/
Amarasiri / March 27, 2018
Thondamany,
“4 time prime Minister, what has he done for the Country? “
At least he does not have any children, and corruption and nepotiosm sfpuld not be there, but his buddies are corrupt.
Have they taken Ranil for a ride, especially by Mahendran and Ravi, and let Ranil and the country down?
Or was it simply Ranil’s incompetence?
/
Upali Wickramasinghes / March 31, 2018
Amarasiri ““4 time prime Minister, what has he done for the Country? “
Please answer that question. It is important
/
Jim softy / March 31, 2018
HE is FOUR TIMES PM because he was hanging on to it like a Leech.
/
Rajan Wahab / March 26, 2018
The minorities need people like Ranil to safeguard their interests. The JO people are only for Sinhala Buddhists,not even Catholics.
/
Jim softy / March 26, 2018
Rajan: I would not trust JO tht much. but, Ranil and his gang are definitely to destroy the country
/
Kamalawathie Sameer / March 27, 2018
Jimbo – Percy (a.k.a. Rajan Wahab/Hora Police etc) is right!
/
Trevor Srinivasan / March 26, 2018
Wahab.
You forgot UPFA and SLFP bastards.
/
justice / March 26, 2018
This is an attempt to get rid of the only politician in this Dharmadwipa, who is not corrupt, and does not ‘fit in’ with ‘the crowd’.
/
K.Pillai / March 26, 2018
In the photograph RW is holding his cards close to his chest.
The cards are “Emperor’s new cards”.
/
Mohamed Marzook / March 26, 2018
The JVP’s correct position is that it will support the motion only if if includes the failure of the PM to take action action against those who were involved in frauds under the previous Govt.
/
Mohamed Marzook =UK / March 26, 2018
The JVP has clearly said that it will support the motion only if it includes the failure of the PM to take action against those who are alleged have committed frauds during the previous govt. The report need to be corrected.
/
Alex / March 27, 2018
This is a no confidence motion against RW for a couple of specific, successive issues that was directly under his purview. There is no point taking sides, or labeling this as a anti government, or a government toppling move, or whether the people bring the motion are crooks or not. If any of the above were factors, then most of the parliamentarians would never be able to point fingers at anyone else from Parliament. As a democratic country, conducting free and fair elections to elect public officials to represent the mandate of people, it should be a very natural thing to bring forward a no confidence motion to a politician during times of successive wrongdoings. It is up to the majority of the parliament to decide depending on the track record and recent events, if they want to save the person in question or not.
Almost everyone commenting here are going on different tangents as to the pedigree of the people bringing in the motion, conspiracy theories, government toppling. This is what well constructed PR wants us to believe. Mr Wickremasinghe had enough instances to stop or correct what led to the bond scam. And on top of it, he went over and beyond to what looked like cover-ups to even re-appointing Mahendra to public office. In another country, the PM would’ve resigned, and when that does not happen, it is perfectly alright for people to bring in a no confidence motion to re-question his abilities.
lets not lose sight of the issues he was fully or in part responsible for, and make a call on whether the people would like to sustain their faith in this man to hold such a high position.
If he’s at the receiving end by 4th April, the officials elected by the people hopefully appoint a suitable, popular, and balanced prime minister to the position, without change in power. Most likely a suitable UNP senior, to carry forward the unity government the people elected..
/
Ranjith / March 27, 2018
Mr clean turns out to be a dirty filthy stinking thief.
/