Parliament Rejects No-Confidence Motion Against Speaker

COLOMBO (News 1st); In a decisive vote, the motion of no confidence against the Speaker was defeated in Parliament today.

The majority of 42 votes ensured that the Speaker retains their position.

The motion of no confidence against the Speaker received 75 votes in favour, whole 117 votes were cast against it.

The Samagi Jana Balavegaya, Jathika Jana Balavegaya, Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi or ITAK, MPs Udaya Gammanpila, Professor G. L. Peiris among other independent MPs in the opposition voted in favour of the motion of no confidence against the Speaker.

Leader of Jathika Jana Balavegaya Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as well as Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MP Namal Rajapaksa did not attend today's parliament session, as they were overseas.

National Congress MP A. L. M. Athaullah, MP W. D. J. Seneviratne, Sri Lanka Freedom Party MP Angajan Ramanathan as well as MP Vadivel Suresh voted against the motion of no confidence against the Speaker.

MPs Jagath Samarawickrama, Piyankara Jayaratne and Nimal Lanza voted against the motion.

In response to concerns raised by opposition members regarding the Speaker’s conduct and decisions during the passage of the online safety bill, a motion of no confidence was brought forward. After three days of intense debate, the parliamentary voting took place this afternoon.