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SJB undecided on Sumanthiran’s NCM against President

28 Apr 2022

  • Tissa Attanayake says decision to vote to be taken next week
  • NCM ready to be presented to Parliament, says Sumanthiran
BY Pamodi Waravita The main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegeya (SJB), will decide next week if it votes in favour of a no-confidence motion (NCM) against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, prepared by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Spokesman and Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi MP President’s Counsel (PC) M.A. Sumanthiran. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (28), SJB National Organiser MP Tissa Attanayake said that the SJB’s decision on the vote about the no-confidence motion against the President will be taken following the Parliamentary group meeting on 2 May. “I don’t believe that there is any reason to oppose it, but as a policy decision, it will be taken after the meeting,” he said. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (28), Sumanthiran PC said that the draft of the no-confidence motion against the President is ready, and has also been sent to various parties involved in the “Go Home Gota” protests. “We discussed with the protestors about an impeachment motion as well, but as that involves a roughly two-year long process, we decided to first go ahead with this no-confidence motion against the President. We are now waiting for the protestors to endorse it as well,” said Sumanthiran PC. Sumanthiran said that the no-confidence motion against the President, if passed, will show that Parliament has no confidence in the President, and therefore, following the democratic tradition, he is duty-bound to step down.  He added that while the no-confidence motion against the President can be passed with a simple majority, he believes that all Opposition parties will support it. “The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna-led National People’s Power (NPP) said that they would support it. The United National Party (UNP) has publicly stated that they would support it as well. We believe that all Opposition parties would support it. I have spoken to the dissidents group from the Governing Alliance as well, and while some of them have said yes, others had questions. That is fine and we will engage further with them. However, the request of the people is for the President to go home, and if any MP votes against the no-confidence motion, then they will have to give an account of why they did so to the people,” he said. The UNP Tweeted on 27 April that it will support the no-confidence motion against the President, as it is important that the Parliament conveys the lack of confidence in the President that the public has demonstrated. Commenting on the no-confidence motion against the Government, to be brought in by SJB, Sumanthiran said that it should be brought together with the no-confidence motion against the President. “If only the Cabinet of Ministers and the Prime Minister is removed by the no-confidence motion against the Government, it will only be like playing musical chairs. The President should also step down. If the no-confidence motion against the Government is passed alongside the no-confidence motion against the President, there is some reason for the TNA to vote for the no-confidence motion against the Government. Otherwise, we will have to discuss what would happen after the no-confidence motion against the Government in order to reach a decision about our vote,” said Sumanthiran. The SJB is due to move the no-confidence motion against the Government, and its members have claimed that over 120 MPs will vote for it.


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