Rajapaksa rivals control parliament panel
COLOMBO: Lawmakers opposed to disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa won control of a key committee setting parliament’s agenda during a crucial vote yesterday that dealt a severe blow to his government.
Sri Lanka has been in political crisis since Oct. 26 when the president abruptly fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed Mr Rajapaksa. Both claim to be the legitimate officeholder with Mr Wickremesinghe saying he has majority support in parliament and his firing was invalid.
Last week, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced Sri Lanka had no prime minister or government after parliament passed a no-confidence motion against Mr Rajapaksa. Both President Maithripala Sirisena and Mr Rajapaksa have refused to accept the results of the no-confidence motion, saying proper procedures were not followed.
When parliament was convened yesterday, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced the members of the parliament selection committee as seven Rajapaksa opponents and five of Mr Rajapaksa’s supporters.
Lawmakers supporting Mr Rajapaksa refused to accept the list, arguing that they run the government and therefore should have the majority on the committee according to parliamentary traditions. Opponents of Mr Rajapaksa said they should control the committee because they have the majority in parliament and they requested a vote. Before the vote was taken, Wimal Weerawansa, a lawmaker supporting Mr Rajapaksa, accused Mr Jayasuriya of violating parliamentary tradition and also being partial to Mr Wickremesinghe. Mr Jayasuriya was elected to parliament from Mr Wickremesinghe’s United National Party.
“If you don’t accept the prime minister and the cabinet of ministers, we also don’t accept you as the speaker of this parliament,” Mr Weerawansa said, before walking out with others supporting Mr Rajapaksa.
Thereafter, a vote was taken by name through the electronic voting system and the opposition secured control of the committee with 121 voting for and none against.
The results also showed that Mr Rajapaksa does not hold the majority of the 225member parliament, which is a setback for his loyalists who had claimed they did.
Yesterday’s vote was very peaceful compared to two previous votes which were taken amid severe disturbances. Parliament turned violent when the no-confidence motions were taken up last week, with rival lawmakers exchanging blows while lawmakers supporting Mr Rajapaksa threw books, chairs and chili powder mixed with water to try to block the proceedings. Mr Jayasuriya resorted to vote by voice last week.
Mr Rajapaksa rejected to accept the results of the voice vote, saying such an important vote should not have been done by voice. He also insisted the speaker had no authority to remove him and said he is continuing to work as prime minister. Lawmakers opposed to Mr Rajapaksa have said his government is illegal.
Jehan Perera, head of the local analyst group National Peace Council, previously said that the government appointed by the president can’t be called legal because Mr Sirisena had not sought a parliamentary vote when he dismissed Mr Wickremesinghe.
Mr Rajapaksa is considered a hero by some in the ethnic Sinhalese majority for ending a long civil war by crushing ethnic Tamil Tiger rebels.
However, his time in power was marred by allegations of wartime atrocities, corruption and nepotism.
Tensions had been building between Mr Sirisena and Mr Wickremesinghe for some time, as the president did not approve of economic reforms introduced by the prime minister.