Parliament to debate no-confidence motion against Speaker on 19-20 March 

The motion of no confidence brought against Speaker of the House Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is set to be debated in Parliament on the 19 and 20 March with a vote to follow. 

The main opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara announced that the move was following yesterday’s party leaders’ meeting. 

The no-confidence motion alleges that the Speaker had ignored the Supreme Court’s recommendations pertaining to Sections 13, 17, 20, 33 (6), 34 (1), 35 (1), 21, 22 and 33 of the Online Safety Bill. 

Abeywardena is also accused of allowing the Third Reading of the Online Safety Bill to be passed without a vote and disregarding the Chief Opposition Whip’s call for a division at the Committee Stage.

Further, the Opposition MPs pointed out that the Speaker had ‘unconstitutionally and unlawfully’ used his decisive vote to affirm the appointment of IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon when the other members of the Constitutional Council were divided on a tie on the matter.