- Cites ‘unfair’ criticism across the aisle
Expressing worry about him having to face “unfair” criticism from both the Government and the Opposition, Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana said that if the no confidence motion (NCM) against him is passed in the Parliament, he would leave the post without waiting for even two minutes.
On Monday (26), the main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) commenced obtaining Parliamentarians' signatures for a NCM against the Speaker, alleging that he had violated the Constitution, the Parliamentary Standing Orders and the MPs’ privileges during the process of passing the Online Safety Act, No. 09 of 2024 (OSA).
Commenting on the matter to The Daily Morning, Speaker Abeywardana said: “If they establish the allegations against me, and the NCM against me is passed in the Parliament, I will go right away without even waiting for two minutes. It is to leave this (the post of the Speaker) that I also need to do now. I can then engage in my affairs freely. When I am here, I am stuck all day.”
He also said that he has to face criticism from both the Government and the Opposition for everything he is doing as the Speaker. “It is the Government Party (the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) that initially blamed me and accused me of bolstering the SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa by giving him time in the Parliament to speak. Now, the other party (the Opposition) has also started criticising me unfairly.”
Speaker Abeywardana, who is also the Chairman of the Constitutional Council, has attracted criticism from the Opposition over the controversial OSA as well as the appointment of Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon as the 36th IGP.
The draft NCM claims that Speaker Abeywardana had allowed the Government to pass the OSA despite the Supreme Court's (SC) determination that several of its Clauses are not consistent with the Constitution, and that they should be passed by a special majority in the Parliament. It stated that the same has been pointed out by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, which stated that there is a doubt as to whether the sufficient number of votes has been received for the passage of the OSA.
It further read that SJB MP and Chief Opposition Whip, attorney Lakshman Kiriella had clearly asked for a division during the Third Reading of the Online Safety Bill (OSB), but that the Speaker had ignored that request and allowed the Government to go ahead without a vote. Although a group of Opposition MPs had requested Abeywardana not to endorse the OSB during the Committee on Parliamentary Business on 01 February, 2024, the NCM states that the Speaker had however endorsed it without considering the MPs' request.