By Sarah Hannan
Attempts by the United National Party (UNP) to form a national government have faced impediments as a result of opposition from some members of the UNP and other political parties in Parliament.
The Government was to depend on the support of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Parliament in order to form the national government. However, the TNA was undecided if it would vote for the establishment of the national government.
Following the latest developments, the Government has not yet decided if it will go ahead with the parliamentary debate and vote on the proposed national government this week.
Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella told The Sunday Morning that the proposed national government was in the order paper to be discussed in Parliament this week but a final decision had not yet been taken.
“We have not yet decided if it will be discussed this week, though it is in the order paper,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, the TNA said that it had still not decided if it would vote in support of a national government if and when it was taken up for debate.
TNA Leader R. Sampathan told The Sunday Morning that the TNA would announce their decision only after hearing the terms of establishment.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said that it would, however, vote against it.
JVP Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath said that there had been several attempts to form a national government in the past and that this was another move in that direction.
“While the incumbent Government has the right to propose this for discussion at Parliament or during the party leaders meetings, we firmly stand against this decision,” Herath said.
Kiriella recently submitted a motion to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya seeking Parliament approval for the United National Front (UNF) to form a national government.
In the motion, the Minister of Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage, and Kandy Development noted that since the United National Party (UNP) had obtained the highest number of seats in Parliament, it had decided to form a national government.
The motion, if passed, states that Parliament will determine in terms of Article 46(4) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka that the number of ministers in the Cabinet can be increased to not exceed 48 and the number of non-cabinet ministers and deputy ministers can be increased to up to 45.
Attempts by the United National Party (UNP) to form a national government have faced impediments as a result of opposition from some members of the UNP and other political parties in Parliament.
The Government was to depend on the support of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in Parliament in order to form the national government. However, the TNA was undecided if it would vote for the establishment of the national government.
Following the latest developments, the Government has not yet decided if it will go ahead with the parliamentary debate and vote on the proposed national government this week.
Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella told The Sunday Morning that the proposed national government was in the order paper to be discussed in Parliament this week but a final decision had not yet been taken.
“We have not yet decided if it will be discussed this week, though it is in the order paper,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, the TNA said that it had still not decided if it would vote in support of a national government if and when it was taken up for debate.
TNA Leader R. Sampathan told The Sunday Morning that the TNA would announce their decision only after hearing the terms of establishment.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said that it would, however, vote against it.
JVP Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath said that there had been several attempts to form a national government in the past and that this was another move in that direction.
“While the incumbent Government has the right to propose this for discussion at Parliament or during the party leaders meetings, we firmly stand against this decision,” Herath said.
Kiriella recently submitted a motion to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya seeking Parliament approval for the United National Front (UNF) to form a national government.
In the motion, the Minister of Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage, and Kandy Development noted that since the United National Party (UNP) had obtained the highest number of seats in Parliament, it had decided to form a national government.
The motion, if passed, states that Parliament will determine in terms of Article 46(4) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka that the number of ministers in the Cabinet can be increased to not exceed 48 and the number of non-cabinet ministers and deputy ministers can be increased to up to 45.