No-confidence motion against Premier postponed

• JO to discuss motion with other political parties including Maithri group in SLFP
• JO Nugegoda rally postponed

The no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister, which was scheduled to be handed over to the Speaker yesterday, was not submitted by the Joint Opposition.

Soon after a request was made by a dissident UNPer to the Joint Opposition to sign the no-confidence motion, a special meeting was held by JO MPs in the parliamentary complex chaired by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Ratnapura District MP Ranjith Zoysa told the Daily FT that the JO had decided to hold several rounds of talks with other political parties for the support of the no-confidence motion.

Joint Opposition parliamentary group leader Dinesh Gunawardena has been assigned the task of deliberating the no-confidence motion with other parties.

The JO will have discussions with the SLFP faction of President Maithripala Sirisena as well as the UNP MPs.

MP Zoysa said the JO hopes to garner the support of a majority in Parliament for the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, regardless of political affiliations.

In addition, the JO had postponed their public rally, which was to be held in Nugegoda, to a future date in light of the recent communal unrest in the country. (SG)