PM says moving motion to suspend Standing Orders was poor Parliamentary strategy

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that moving a motion to suspend Standing Orders was poor Parliamentary strategy and that had he been in Opposition he would still have voted against suspending Standing Orders, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The Prime Minister, during a discussion with Opposition MPs M.A. Sumanthiran, Rauf Hakeem and Mano Ganesan on Monday (16) was informed that they were wanting to suspend Standing Orders and debate the Motion of Displeasure against the President.

The Prime Minister had informed the Opposition MPs that the Members of Parliament had wanted to move an adjournment debate regarding the attacks on their homes and so they should be allowed to do so. He explained that since the Motion of Displeasure was already on the order books it would be taken up afterwards. 

He said that the MPs would defeat a vote to suspend Standing Orders as the most pressing issue for them was their house being attacked.

This was again explained to Member of Parliament M.A. Sumanthiran yesterday (17) in the Chamber. However, the Opposition chose the wrong strategy and proceeded to move a vote to suspend standing orders. The Prime Minister, following the vote, explained to several Opposition MPs that the Government MPs would now use the defeat of the vote to suspend Standing Orders as an opportunity to prevent the Motion of Displeasure against the President being debated.