Vajira reads the riot act to President
The UNP yesterday warned President Maithripala Sirisena and the SLFP that the no-confidence motion (NCM) moved against UNP leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would boomerang on them.
Addressing a media briefing at Sirikotha, Galle District MP and Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said the SLFP shouldn’t take political advantage of the Joint Opposition-led NCM at the expense of the UNP.
Abeywardena said the SLFP had violated the 2015 mandate received by President Sirisena by throwing its weight behind the JO move aimed at causing political instability and uncertainty.
Abeywardena said that an unprecedented crisis could lead to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya being entrusted with wide powers till issues were sorted out.
Abeywardene insisted that contrary to propaganda, Wickremesinghe hadn’t been implicated in Treasury bond scams. Therefore, the NCM based on unproven allegations pertaining to treasury bond scams couldn’t be the basis for the NCM, the minister said.
Asked to explain the Speaker’s status in case Wickremesinghe lost the NCM or President Sirisena tried to remove the PM by dissolving the Cabinet, a smiling Abeywardena said that the Speaker could end up receiving the powers of the Office of President in accordance with a Supreme Court opinion until problems were resolved.
The UNP called media following the SLFP’s claim that it wanted to continue with present arrangement with the UNP sans Wickremesinghe as the PM.
Abeywardena said the party would stand by its leader and ensure the defeat of the NCM.
Those who had moved the NCM were obviously unaware of the far reaching changes in place since the enactment of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in April 2015, Abeywardena said, adding that the President was powerless as far as constitutional provisions for the removal of the PM were concerned.
Abeywardena said there was the possibility of President Sirisena losing, at least temporarily, the authority to exercise powers in the event of a constitutional crisis.
Abeywardene recalled that the UNP had campaigned for Maithripala Sirisena at the 2015 presidential poll on the basis that Wickremesinghe would be appointed the Prime Minister. The UNPer insisted as the 2015 mandate had been received by bothe Sirisena and Wickremesinghe, the President couldn’t under any circumstances act in a manner contrary to the wishes of 6.2 mn people.
The senior UNPer said the 19th Amendment to the Constitution enacted with the backing of the majority of members representing all political parties in Parliament had stripped the President’s of power to overcome the challenge through unilateral means.
Abeywardena claimed that with the enactment of 19th Amendment, the President had been deprived of the constitutional power to continue in Office following the dissolution of Cabinet of ministers. Abeywardena repeatedly said that those who were all out to oust Wickemesinghe should study the 19th Amendment and see the current situation vis-a-vis presidential powers.
Abeywardena said that previous presidents had been vested with the power to dismiss the Cabinet and to continue in Office under Section 43 (2) of 1978 Constitution. He recalled that the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa had contemplated exercising the constitutional power when he faced internal challenge. However, the issue had been settled through other means and the need for him to dissolve the Cabinet hadn’t arisen. Abeywardena was referring to Lalith-Gamini led bid to impeach Premadasa with the support of the SLFP at that time headed by the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
The Galle District MP said Wickremesinghe had wanted to face the NCM though his loyalists felt it should be rejected as it was not legal.
Quoting what he calle relevant sections from the Constitution, Abeywardena said that Wickremesinghe could be deprived of the post of Prime Minister only if he ceased to be an MP on the basis of him losing civic rights on the recommendation of a Special Presidential Commission.
Abeywardena said they weren’t unduly worried about various statements attributed to some members of the UNP and UNF parliamentary groups. He added that it was better for those members to express their views freely. The UNP MPs currently overseas would be back within the next couple of days and the party was confident of defeating what he called illegal NCM, he stressed.
(Source: The Island – By Shamindra Ferdinando)
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If the NCM is approved, the UNP should quit Yahapalana, walk over to the opposition and build its grassroots voter-base for forthcoming Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections.
If the NCM is not approved but if SLFP votes for it, the UNP must form Government on its own and appoint the Field Marshall as Law and Minister and clean up the Judiciary, the police and pursue thieves from the Blue era.
The Lilly-White cut-throat who is sitting on the high chair has clearly demonstrated that he is not for governing according to the principles of the rainbow revolution that took place on 08 Jan 2015. The Late Ven Sobitha will turn in his grave when he becomes aware of the behaviour of the Lilly-White leader. As the saying goes once a cut-throat, always a cut throat.
Dear Mr. Royal Kumara, BTW, are you a Royalist? NCM is a mandate given by recently concluded PC elections. In that election folks in SL clearly demonstrated their disgust towards YP government (which include MY3 & RW). Now RW (UNP) has to face the music. Actually, RW (UNP) should worship MY3 because he is the one who appointed RW after 8 Jan 2015.
Amarakoon,
Of course, I am a Royalist and a proud one at that.
In 2014/15, our leader RW sacrificed his presidential ambitions to heed to the cry of Late Sobitha and civil society who were really troubled with the doings of the Blues from 2005-2015.
MY3 gained 6.2m votes on 8 Jan 2015 of which, a mere 4% was from the SLFP. The remaining 96% came from the UNP and it’s allies.
Amarakoon, we Royalists are courageous. Had RW contested the presidency in Jan 2015, he would would have won, comfortably.
Amarakoon, we Royalists are patriots and are willing to sacrifice utmost for the Nation. That is what our great school made us out, to be.
The PC elections were dominated by the Blue crooks and its kudu mudalali supporters who threw filthy money at the voters.
Hope the voters South are as conscious as the voters in the North; the latter really know how to vote. The decision of the Northern voter to ensure an MR victory in 2005 changed the destiny of our nation to an international paraya state. The Northern voter may have lost the war but the paraya state label will cling on to SL for many decades.
Only RW can reverse this position.
Spirited response by Royal Kumara! Much appreciated.
It is only RW who can redeem us from being a Paraya State.
A potential future leader of the Paraya State, who happens to be the son of a former Prezzy and who is a Member of Parliament was recently denied of entry to the US to attend his aunt’s funeral because of credible money laundering charges in Courts; well, aren’t we a Paraya State?
That’s an excellent debate.
Glad to note Sinhala Buddhist bloggers Douglas, Royal and Amarakoon admitting SL is indeed a Paraya State.
Sl is not only a Paraya State but a Paraya State MAX !!
As said by Royal Kumara, the Late Hon Vellupillai ordered voters in Ealam to boycott the 2015 Presidential Elections. The far-sighted VP ensured a hawkish MR victory. VP knew he would lose his life but that was part of the strategy.
The propuslion of MR into leadership of the nation resulted in SL being labelled a Paraya State by the international community.
This will eventually lead to an internationally supervised plebiscite on the craetaion of our motherland, Ealam.
when the cost per unit from LNG is Rs. 15 per unit and when the cost per unit recalculated from Norocholai is Rs 7.50 and when 70 billion units are required per year developed our country that is a loss of 52.5 bilion Rs. per these engineers should be charged by the FCID for corruption Eng. M.V.R.Perera . This is the type of waste of public funds that Sirisena’s economic policies as bred and is glued to the present Finance Minister
Well Mr. Royal Kumara I am more than happy to hear that you are Royalist. I am coming from the same stables of Ried Avenue. I am proud to be a Royalist too. But I am damn ashamed to identify myself with Ranil Wickramasinhe, Arjuna Mahendran, Ravi Karunanayake or even with Malik samarawickrama. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has been under PM, he is the one who appointed his close friend Arjuna Mahendran to the post of Governor of the Central Bank despite a conflict of interest involving Mahendran’s son-in-laws links to primary dealer from Perpetual Treasuries (PT). PT was alleged to have made thumping profits in two Central Bank bond issues in February 2005 & March 2016. Therefore, RW should take the blame for the bond scam. As Royalists we always take responsibility and never scapegoat others.
As they say, fish begins to rot from the head and there is no doubt in the public mind that that the major issues that are dragging the Yaha Palanaya regime into incremental loss of public confidence have originated from the desk of RW.
Remember, JVP uprising in 1988-1989. It is believed 5,000 to 10,000 members of JVP activists tortured and killed in Batalanda Camp ran under the patronage of RW. Surprisingly Human Right violations didn’t apply for these atrocities.
Yes, Sri Lanka is a Paraya state and a failed state too. YP regime came to power promising everything under the sun. After three years SL still a Paraya state. We are among the four most corrupt countries in the world. SL rupee has gone down and now it is equal to 153. Weed-killer Glyphosate has almost brought the country’s lucrative tea industry to its knees. Three years are more than enough to put the SL economy in the correct track for recovery.
Our Tamil friends forget that 1983 black July happened under a UNP regime. JVP the lap dog of YP too forgets the assassination of Rohana Wijeweera and activities in Batalanada Torture centre, massacre of JVP activists too happened when UNP was in power.
If Velu Pillai asked Tamil Voters not to vote as a tactical move he wouldn’t have taken money from MR as alleged. VP sold the souls of Tamil Voters. As reported in the news Velu Pilai went to the extent of cutting an arm of a Tamil voter who dared to vote!
In my opinion, RW will survive the NCM because UNP has 82 members and TNA has 16 members (additional one Muslim MP). Numerically even if the SLFP led opposition group get 95 votes RW will survive. By any chance if RW get defeated that is the road for him.
Last but not least Mr. Royal Kumara, our Motto is Disce Aut Discede (Learn or Depart). RW never Learn. He never Departs. After 21 continues defeats he is still clinging into power. He will take the country and UNP to his grave. RW……has to Learn From Books and Men and Learn to Play the Game………It was Sir Vincent Churchill who said politics is a dirty game and RW is a master of it.