The no-confidence motion (NCM) planned by the main Parliamentary opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) against the Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is to be handed over to the Parliamentary Secretary General Kushani Rohanadheera today (4), The Daily Morning learns.

On 26 February, the SJB started obtaining Parliamentarians' signatures for an NCM against the Speaker, alleging that he had flagrantly violated the Constitution and Parliamentary standing orders (SO) and privileges during the process of passing the Online Safety Act (OSA) No. 09 of 2024.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (3), the National Organiser of the SJB and MP Tissa Attanayake said that the NCM would be handed over to the Parliament today. "The NCM has been signed by the MPs. The decision was to hand it over to the Parliamentary Secretary General tomorrow (4)”

The draft NCM claims that Speaker Abeywardena had allowed the Government to pass the OSA despite 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 Parliament. It stated that the same has been pointed out by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) through a letter dated 8 February 2024, which stated that there is a doubt as to whether the sufficient number of votes have been received for the passage of the OSA. It further read that the Chief Opposition Whip and SJB MP 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 Abeywardena not to endorse the OSB during the Committee on Parliamentary Business on 1 February, the NCM states that the Speaker had however endorsed it without considering the MPs' request.

 Meanwhile, expressing concern about him having to face 'unfair' criticism from both the Government and the Opposition, Abeywardena, who is also the Chairman of the Constitutional Council, last week said that if the NCM against him is passed in Parliament, he would leave the post without waiting for even two minutes. He has attracted criticism from the Opposition over the controversial OSA as well as the appointment of Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police and Acting Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon as the 36th IGP.