Colombo: The crucial parliamentary session will begin today in Sri Lanka, which is facing a financial crisis and political challenges. Leaders of the main opposition SJB have hinted that a no-confidence motion and impeachment motion to topple the Rajapaksa government may be tabled in Parliament soon. SJB president and opposition leader Sajith Pramedasa has said that the no-confidence motion will take place this week.
The SJB yesterday submitted a no-confidence motion against the Mahinda Rajapaksa government and an impeachment motion against the President under Article 42 of the Constitution to the Speaker of Parliament. The resolutions were handed over at the Speaker’s residence yesterday. If the government fails in the no-confidence motion, Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet should resign. Meanwhile, the election for a new Deputy Speaker will take place today in the wake of the resignation of Deputy Speaker Ranjit Siyalapitiya on the 30th.
The SJB had claimed that it would prove its majority in Parliament this week. Former President and Sri Lanka Freedom Party chairman Maithripala Sirisena said last week that President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had said he was ready to form an interim all-party government comprising all political parties in parliament and remove current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, but uncertainty remains.
Gotabhaya has asked the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to put forward proposals for an interim government and to specify the number of supporters in parliament, officials from the president’s office later said.
At the same time, Gotabhaya had said that if the Sri Lanka Freedom Party had membership in Parliament, it could nominate a Prime Minister and consider it. The SJB is of the view that there is no all-party government and that Mahinda Rajapaksa should resign.
ചൈന China has decided to provide 300 million yuan in aid to Sri Lanka for medicine, food and fuel, according to the Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s Office.