Sajith accuses Govt of interfering in no-confidence motion against Speaker

Newswire reports that Deputy Speaker Rizvi Saleh informed Parliament on November 6 that five requests to raise questions of parliamentary privilege had been rejected. They were submitted by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and MPs Mano Ganesan, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Mujibur Rahman and Chanaka Madugoda. Newsfirst also reports the rejection of requests by Premadasa and four other MPs.

Newswire reports that the requests followed the rejection of a no-confidence motion against Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne without a debate. In Parliament, Premadasa alleged that the government had pressured the Opposition to amend the motion and argued that the Opposition was entitled to decide its contents. Newswire reports that he characterized the alleged pressure as unconstitutional and said it interfered with the legislature.

Newswire reports that the Deputy Speaker, reading the Speaker’s decision, said a review under parliamentary Standing Orders and the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act found no prima facie privilege breach warranting consideration under Standing Order 118. He said matters involving parliamentary procedure, the Order Book and scheduling were procedural, and cited an October 6 ruling that administrative decisions on parliamentary business and debate time could not be challenged through privilege questions.

Newswire reports that the Committee on Parliamentary Business had allowed the Opposition to submit an amended motion after removing matters considered sub judice. The Deputy Speaker said no amended version arrived by the deadline, so there was no unconditional right to debate the original motion. Lankadeepa likewise reports that the Speaker refused to allow the five MPs’ privilege issue to be raised in the House.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.