No-confidence motion against Ravi handed over

27 November 2015 12:16 pm

A no-confidence motion signed by 44 Opposition MPs against Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake was handed over to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya today.

The minister is alleged to have distorted statistics by adding asset values to government expenditure giving the impression that the government had allocated a huge amount of funds to the education sector.

The motion said the minister's action had resulted in Parliament losing confidence in the minister.

The signatories include Dinesh Gunawardane, Gamini Lokuge, Bandula Gunawardane, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Shehan Semasinghe, Janaka Wakkumbura, Vijitha Berugoda, Kanchana Wikesekera, Namal Rajapaksa, Johnston Fernando, Jayantha Samaraweera, D.V. Chanaka, Dilum Amunugama, Manusha Nanayakara and Dr Ramesh Pathirana.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said it had refrained from signing the motion. JVP MP Nalinda Jayatissa said members of his party refrained from signing it as its intention was to defeat the Budget as a whole and not just to defeat the Finance Minister.(Yohan Perera)