Sri Lanka: More opposition MPs to support government’s Eighteenth Amendment Bill? Opposition groups call for general strike and civil disobedience

With three United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians- Lakshman Senevirathne, Earl Gunasekera and Manusha Nanayakkara already declaring support for the Eighteenth Amendment of the ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA), more opposition MPs are tipped to support the Bill on Wednesday’s (September 8) historic vote.

Lakshman Senevirathne (Badulla District), Earl Gunasekera (Pollonnaruwa District) and Manusha Nanayakkara (Galle District) declaring their support to UPFA’s constitutional reforms bill on Friday (September 3), severely blamed the UNP leadership for seventeen election defeats in a row.

Recently, UPFA front-liner Minister Maithreepala Sirisena claimed as many as ten UNP MPs would support the Bill on the day of voting. Speculation is rife that Palitha Range Bandara (Puttlam), Jeya Sri Ranga (Nuwara Eliya) and John Amaratunga would support the Bill. However Bandara who previously expressed displeasure over government’s move, later declared that he would ‘vote according to his conscience’.

The UNP, in its joint Working Committee and Parliamentary Group meeting held last Wednesday, unanimously approved to remove the membership of any of its MP who voted for the Bill. As such, the resolution will also apply to the eight members of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) who had already decided to vote for the Bill ‘as one entity’ although SLMC still claimed to be within the ‘United National Front’.

Meanwhile, several political parties and civil organizations including the ‘Movement against Eighteenth Amendment’ have requested both MPs and the public at large, to be attired in black on Wednesday, as apart of a general strike and civil disobedience campaign, to show their opposition to the proposed Bill.

The highlight of the campaign would be a mass protest and fast-unto-death at the Ayurveda Hospital junction in Rajagiriya which is located on the main road leading to the Parliament.

Kurunegala District UNP Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera, claimed that several government MPs and ministers would vote against the draconian law and challenged the UPFA to allow a secret ballot.

Siritunga Jayasuriya (United Left Front), Wickramabahu Karunarathne (New Left Front), Sarath Manamendra (Nawa Sihala Urumaya), and Convener of the Free Media Movement (FMM), Sunil Jayasekera are also members of the movement.

In a separate development, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) claimed that it would launch its own ‘common struggle’ (Podu aragalaya) against the Bill, which it claimed would sound the death knell for democracy in Sri Lanka.

The Coalition of Left Parties (of the government), which earlier declared that it would only support the abolishing of the executive presidency, seem to be in a disarray over its decision on the Bill. Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Communist Party, Democratic Left Front, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) and the Desha Vimukthi Janatha Pakshaya belong to the Coalition.

Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana and Kegalle District Parliamentarian Y.G. Padmasiri of the LSSP along with Minister Dinesh Gunawardene and Githanjana Gunawardene are known to vote for the Eighteenth Amendment citing ‘collective responsibility’ of the Cabinet of Ministers.

However Minister DEW Gunasekera and deputy Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera of Sri Lanka Communist Party (CP) and vociferous leader of the Democratic Left Front (DLF) Rathnapura District MP, Vasudewa Nanayakkara will decide on what course of action the two parties would take on September 6.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is known for his habit of visiting overseas in the face of a crisis, had left for South India. He is scheduled to apprise TamilNadu political leaders on Sri Lanka’s situation and to visit a renowned Hanuman Temple to attend a pooja. It is uncertain as to whether he would attend UNP’s 65th anniversary celebrations scheduled for Monday.

The Supreme Court determination on the 18th Amendment, which had been handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa last Thursday, is to be announced by Speaker to the House on September 7.

Under the Eighteenth Amendment, Article 92 (a) of the Constitution would be amendment to enable the incumbent President to call for an election after the lapse of four years of the present term.

Meanwhile in an apparent bid to bring pressure on the government, the UNP handed over to Speaker, a no-confidence motion against Foreign Minister Prof. G.L Peiris, signed by Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya (Gampaha), Lakshman Kiriella (Kandy), Ravi Karunanayake (Colombo), John Amaratunga (Gampaha) and Wijedasa Rajapaksa (Colombo) for his handling of the affair of the tortured housemaid- L.P. Ariyawathi.

- Asiann Tribune -