• Speaker rejects privilege breach complaint 

The no-confidence motion (NCM) against Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne is to be presented to Parliament on 9 October, Opposition Parliamentarian, attorney Ajith P. Perera told Parliament yesterday (6).

Responding to Perera, House Leader Bimal Rathnayake said that he would propose that the NCM be taken up for debate during the first Parliamentary week following its submission.

The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has decided to submit the motion, which has been drafted based on 49 allegations against the Speaker.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the SJB Parliamentary group, with SJB MPs confirming the move while speaking to the media following a special discussion held at the Office of the Opposition Leader on Monday (5).

The signing of the NCM was scheduled to commence yesterday, with the Opposition expected to take further action on the motion in Parliament this week.

Meanwhile, Opposition MP, attorney Dayasiri Jayasekara said that the Speaker should resign from his position before the NCM is brought against him.

SJB MPs said the coming week would be crucial for the Speaker as the Opposition prepares to proceed with the motion.

Meanwhile, Speaker Dr Wickramaratne ruled that a privilege complaint submitted by Perera did not constitute a prima facie breach of Parliamentary privilege.

The ruling was issued in response to a notice of privilege dated 2 October submitted by Perera.

Perera had alleged that Parliamentary privilege had been breached over the lack of formal action or a final decision on a written request dated 3 August, signed by 18 Opposition MPs, seeking the appointment of a Special Select Committee to investigate and report on delays in the judicial system and prison overcrowding.

He had requested that the matter be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation and recommendations.

However, the Speaker ruled that, as the Presiding Authority and Guardian of the Powers, Rights and Privileges of Parliament, he could not be subjected to a privilege complaint or disciplinary investigation by a committee subordinate to the Chair for actions taken in his official capacity.

Dr Wickramaratne further stated that the Standing Orders require the Speaker to independently determine whether a prima facie case of breach of privilege exists.

Accordingly, he ruled that referring a complaint against the Speaker to a committee under his authority would create a procedural contradiction and disallowed Perera’s request to refer the matter to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.