The parliamentary debate on the no-confidence motion moved by the Joint opposition against the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the government will start at 9:30 a.m. today.
The debate is expected to continue till 9:30 p.m. and a vote by name will be taken after the debate.
While the United National Party (UNP), which has a slim majority in parliament has vowed to defeat the motion, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the coalition partner of the unity government is expected to announce its stance today.
While Minister Rauf Hakeem’s Sri Lankan Muslim Congress and Mano Ganesan’s Tamil Progressive Alliance have decided to vote against the No Confidence Motion, the Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna has decided to vote in support of the motion.
Meanwhile, in response to the request made by the SLFP asking the Premier to resign before the debate, the United National Front (UNF) Parliamentary Group leaders have passed a resolution stating that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe should not resign from his post.
This decision was taken after a discussion held with party leaders representing the United National Front and Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe at Parliamentary Complex yesterday.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party has decided that the Prime Minister should resign from his post, according to the SLFP Vice Chairman, Minister Nirmala Siripala de Silva. The decision was taken at the cabinet ministers meeting yesterday chaired by the President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.
All the ministers representing the United National Font were present at the cabinet meeting yesterday.
The Prime Minister has not responded to Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva’s suggestion but the UNF leaders have not agreed to the call for the Premier’s resignation. UNF leaders have stated that their decision is that Ranil Wickremesinghe should stay as the Prime Minister.
Deputy General Secretary of the UNP, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam says that no confidence motion can be defeated even if all SLFP MPs supported it.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
