Gota’s Govt. hangs onto simple majority in Parliament for now

• 42 MPs  from SLPP’s constituent parties to function as independent MPs
• Ruling side down to 114 seats from 156  in 225 Legislature
• MPs from 11-party alliance, SLFP, CWC break ranks with SLPP
• SJB/NPP reject President’s invitation to join interim arrangement  
• Govt. MPs warn public anger directed at them could soon turn against those in Opposition

By Chandani Kirinde

Forty-two MPs yesterday decided to break away from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuma (SLPP) and

function as independent Members of Parliament as the Government fights for survival amidst growing public protests against its mismanagement of the economy, corruption and nepotism.

The Government which enjoyed the support of 156 MPs or over two-thirds of the members in Parliament is now down to 114, just one more than the 113 required to have a simple majority.

Among those who broke ranks with the SLPP yesterday were 16 MPs of the 11-party alliance led by Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Vasudeva Nanayakkara, 14 members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by former President Maithripala Sirisena, nine MPs of the SLPP, two members of the Ceylon Workers Congress and one from the All-Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC).

Weerawansa announced that the 11-party alliance would no longer be part of the SLPP while former President Sirisena too announced that they would function as an independent group in the House.

SLPP MP Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said he and eight others too would form a separate group in the House while CWC MPs Jeevan Thondaman and Marudapandi Rameshwaran and MP S.M.M. Muszhaaraff of the ACMC announced they too will function as independent MPs.

The shake-up within the ruling party came as Parliament met for the first time since the start of the public protests calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Government.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attended yesterday’s sittings but did not address the House. With just four Cabinet ministers appointed so far, Parliament deviated from the business at hand and MPs expressed views on the ongoing situation in the country.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and NPP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake both rejected the invitation by the President for them to join an interim arrangement to address the economic woes faced by the country while Government MPs appealed to the Opposition to consider the President’s request.

“Why should we take responsibility for the current situation of the country? This mess was created by the Government and now it wants our support to tide over it,” SJB MP Sarath Fonseka said.

He also extended his support to the ongoing people’s protests saying the corrupt Government must go home.

Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said all MPs are bound to work within the framework of the Constitution whichever side they are on. ”We are open to discussions with all political parties and civil society groups. There is no hindrance to any peaceful , democratic protests,” he said.

Government MPs also warned that the public anger directed at them could extend to those on the Opposition side, and said the spate of attacks on houses of ruling party lawmakers is a dangerous precedent.

“If anyone says the President and Government must go home, that change must happen within the democratic framework. We are the only country in South Asia which has successively changed governments electorally since independence. We cannot set a bad precedent because in the future no one will be able to rule if we go to change governments under pressure from public protests,” he said.

Several MPs also urged Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to take the lead in bringing about a consensus among all parties in Parliament to calm the situation and address the urgent demands of the public.