MP lands on his tail after high jump to Govt ranks
Party-trotting former Sri Lanka Muslim Congress MP Nazeer Ahmed who made his leap across the Parliamentary divide to summer in the Government’s more advantageous climes, discovered last week that he had landed on his back instead.
Two years ago, he had crossed over to the Government backbenches and, at the third reading of the budget, had voted with the Government against the decision of the SLMC’s High Command that its party members should only vote against or abstain. He had done so even after he had signed a document pledging his loyalty to the constitution, rules and regulations of the SLMC.
The apparent reward for his betrayal came in May the following year when he was appointed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa as Minister of Environment with dubious qualifications to hold this important post since any large project, foreign or local, had to be first approved by him to take off.
On October 6, the Supreme Court ruled that the SLMC‘s expulsion of Nazeer Ahmed was valid and held that he was disqualified to retain his Parliamentary seat. Delivering the judgement Justice P. Padman Surasena held:
‘The Petitioner (Nazeer Ahmed) has pledged that he would be loyal to the Party; shall recognize honour and submit to the authority of the hierarchy of the Party; abide by and honour its decisions, rules, regulations, directives, policies of the Party as decided by the High
Command. But the Petitioner has not only breached this solemn pledge but also has deliberately refrained from giving any explanation for his conduct. He has also determined not to submit himself to the authority of the Party. In those circumstances and for the foregoing reasons, I hold that the decision made by the SLMC to expel the Petitioner from the party by letter P15 dated 23 is valid in law.’
As a result, he’s out of Parliament, and he stands today, though with an enriched sun tan that has visibly improved his complexion, without the office of Environment Minster, without his Parliamentary seat, without a party to call his own. He stands alone as a political outcast, held in utmost contempt and scorn.
Unless he is embraced by the SLPP and taken to its bosom and his political death in their camp makes them hold him a martyr to the Rajapaksa faith, no other party would touch this political pariah with a political barge pole.
He stands as an example to others who have bartered their souls for sunnier pastures to increase their tans.
The Supreme Court’s landmark unanimous judgment will also have farreaching effects on those who had similarly crossed over to the sunlit side of the street where a calypso carnival of power, perks and privileges reigns. No doubt they will be praying to the higher power above not to let the music stop.