9 April 2021 09:26 pm
A group of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs in a letter addressed to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana has alleged that he is continuously acting partially, affecting them mentally.
“MPs of our party are mentally affected by your action of partiality which has become a continuous eventuality,” the letter signed by 39 SJB MPs said.
“We have noticed many times that you have been deliberately ignoring the Opposition MPs whenever they oppose a motion. You failed to give a division when Chief Opposition whip Lakshman Kiriella called for a division at the end of the debate on the 20th Amendment. Also you have allowed MP Prermalal Jayasekera who has been convicted of murder to attend Parliament but had failed to grant the equal right to MP Ranjan Ramanayake. You have also continuously curtailed the right of the Opposition Leader to raise supplementary questions whenever he raised questions under Standing order 27(2). We wonder whether your actions will tarnish the image of Parliament. We understand that you are engaged in SLPP politics. The Speaker who is the leader of all 225 MPs in the House is expected to safeguard the dignity of your post,” the letter said.
“You were unanimously selected as the Speaker of the House as we trusted that you were a man of high reputation and respect. We backed you as you were a well-respected member of the UNP in the past. It was SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara who seconded your name as the Speaker. We still hope that you will act towards becoming one of the greatest speakers in Sri Lanka and you will go down in history with such a reputation,” the letter added.(Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)