A tense situation erupted in Parliament yesterday (3) after the Opposition demanded an immediate opportunity to raise privilege issues over the failure to debate the no-confidence motion (NCM) against Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne, with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several Parliamentarians insisting that their Parliamentary rights had been violated.

Premadasa said that he had personally handed over a privilege question to the Speaker's Office and had also submitted it to the Deputy Speaker. He requested permission to raise it immediately, saying that it concerned the MPs' rights to speak, move motions and submit an NCM against the Speaker under the Parliament's Standing Orders (SOs).

Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih said that five privilege questions had been submitted and needed to be studied before they could be taken up. He said that it was difficult to examine all five in such a short time and noted that they had been received after 9 a.m.

Premadasa disputed this, saying that the Office had instructed him to arrive at 9.15 a.m. to submit the privilege question, following the usual procedure of arranging a time with the Speaker. “Neither you nor the Speaker was in the Office” he said, insisting that he be allowed to raise the issue.

MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said that he had submitted his privilege question to the Office at 8.50 a.m. He said that the MPs would have submitted their questions directly to Salih had they known in advance that he would preside over the sitting. He added that he had handed over another copy after meeting Salih.

MP Mujibur Rahman also said that he had submitted his privilege question before 9 a.m., noting that the SOs required such matters to be handed over before Parliament began its sitting but did not specify a particular time. “We only came to know that the Speaker wouldn’t be in the Chair after you took your seat. There is nothing in the SOs saying that privilege questions must be handed over to the Deputy Speaker,” he said.

MP Ajith P Perera said that the dispute had arisen because the Opposition had submitted an NCM against the Speaker. He said that the motion contained 17 allegations relating to the misuse of State property, 20 bribery allegations and 13 allegations concerning a loss of impartiality.

Jayasekara also questioned the decision to set aside the motion on the grounds that it was sub judice, saying that the relevant cases had not even been taken up by court.

Salih said that he had received the documents only after taking the Chair. He said that he had not yet studied the submissions and could not allow them to be read out immediately. “I will study them during the course of today and inform you when they can be raised,” he said.

Opposition MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam then cited SO 29(1), which gives priority to motions directly concerning Parliamentary privileges over other motions and scheduled business. He also referred to SO 29(2), which deals with the procedure for raising privilege matters.

Rahman said that the NCM against the Speaker had already been included in Parliament's Order Paper. 

Several MPs then stood up holding placards. Opposition MP Dr Harsha de Silva suggested suspending the sitting for 10 or 15 minutes to allow the Deputy Speaker to study the submissions before recalling the House.

However, Chief Government Whip Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said that SO 29(2) required MPs to obtain the Chair's permission before discussing a privilege matter. He asked Salih to study the submissions and provide a response, proposing that Parliament continue with its normal business in the meantime.

Opposition MPs objected, shouting slogans against the Speaker, including “Thief.”

Jayatissa said that an NCM could not include matters being considered by the courts under the SOs, adding that the Opposition had been asked to submit the motion in the correct form.