UPFA calls for Karu to step down

• Insists Speaker is biased and responsible for chaos in P’ment

UPFA lawmakers yesterday called for Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to step down following a disastrous session in Parliament. 

Addressing a brief media conference in the Parliamentary complex, the UPFA lawmakers demanded the removal of Jayasuriya and made derogatory comments about his mental stability.

“The Speaker behaves as if he has a mental health issue. He is responsible for all these issues in Parliament. 

He has violated the Standing Orders. He accepted Mahinda Rajapaksa as the prime minister and now he has rejected him. So this has turned into a very unfortunate situation with a no confidence motion moved against the Standing Orders. We hold the Speaker of the House responsible for all the chaos,” charged MP S.B. Dissanayake.

According to MP Susil Premajayantha, there are no provisions available to suspend Standing Orders and take up motions in the Parliament as proposed by TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran.

“Firstly, the Speaker violated Standing Orders and with his biased intention allowed the Opposition to raise their requirement. JVP MP Vijitha Herath ran to the Speaker’s chair and handed over a document to the Secretary General. Without even going through the content of the document, the Speaker asked for a vote. The Speaker decided to take a vote by listening to the sound. It is very unethical to not regard the Standing Orders and given that we did not know what document was given to the Secretary General,” he charged.

Meanwhile Dayasiri Jayasekara charged the Speaker was trying to assist the United National Party to establish a government. “The UNP was trying to declare a government after the vote against Rajapaksa’s speech while remaining in the left side of the Chamber. In tradition, the governing party occupies the right side of the Chamber while the Opposition remains in the left side of the Chamber,” he said. (AH)