By : A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA 

Before proceeding to apprise on the latest developments on election phobia UNPs thuggery in Parliament, President’s meeting with demented Speaker and UNP proxies including money voracious JVP Hooligans, evidence on fraudulent lists presented to the President let us complete the balance portion Prime Minister Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s parliament speech on  15^th.

When I was coming to parliament, I saw a Poster which asks whose fundamental rights .are being infringed by an election?

It was to allow the people to express the power of their sovereignty and allow them to appoint a government as per their choice that governments of this country in 1947, 1951, 1956 and 1960 dissolved prematurely.   It was because of that the people’s sovereignty was safeguarded  at those times.  It was because the President realised that the government that existed could not solve the problems of this country, he asked me to take over the country.  With the moment of my taking over the country as the Prime Minister there was an enthusiastic expectation throughout the country.

The speaker says that he in collaboration with western ambassadors and his political got a No Confidence Motion (NCM)against me passed by Voice Votes” (What a joker he is – emphasis mine) It is not possible to get motions passed by sounds.  After the speaker’s so-called NCM the former Ministers who thought that the former Prime Minister has become the Prime Minister again have even gone to their former Ministries.  It is the President who appoints the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers of the country. The speaker has not been given this authority by our constitution.

I propose that rather than attempting to get this problem solved among 225 members of the Parliament in the parliament it should be entrusted to the people who exceed 15 million voters. Now there is a clash of opinion between two groups in the Parliament.  Therefore, instead of trying to solve this problem among 225 members of parliament it should be entrusted to the people who exceed 15 million voters. That is the parliament tradition. As politicians we all should understand this fact. As per our constitution our sovereignty does not rests on the parliament.  It rests on the people only.  I am happy that the JVP said yesterday that if a proposal was submitted to dissolve the parliament and hold election that they would vote in favour that proposal.  I hope that the UNP will announce in this parliament today about their stance on this matter.

I appeal to all the 225 members of this Parliament to join hands with me to facilitate the people to   appoint a new government as per their choice and to hold a free and fair election for   that purpose.

Thank you.

During the speech the Prime Minister announced that fuel prices will be further reduced, and it will be reduced last night as well and further concessions will be given to ease the cost of living burden of the people.  Referring to the UNP government’s fuel pricing formula he said under vicious formula the fuel prices were only increased and never came down if even the world market prices came down.

The people remained glued to their televisions yesterday and watched the brawl created by the demented and arrogant speaker by the unwarranted and unconstitutional attempt to take a vote on the Prime Minister’s speech.

At the outset, the Speaker announced that he would not recognize any MP as the Prime Minister, Minister, State or Deputy Minister, Chief Government Whip or Leader of the House as the Cabinet of Ministers stood dissolved in view of the No-Confidence Motion on Wednesday. He said a new Prime Minister and Cabinet of Ministers have not been appointed and there is free seating for the convenience of business of the House He also stated that the final decision on all Parliamentary affairs lies with him and such decisions can only be challenged inside the Chamber,

This created strong protests from the government benches leading ultimately to a huge pandemonium and a brawl between MPs of both sides.  For people who watched these ashes.  The UNP MPs behaved like their ancestor thugs Mariakade Choppe, Gonawela Sunil and Kalu Lucky. With the connivance of the demented speaker their current thugs such as Ranjan Ramanauyake and Palitha Thevarapperuma have brought knives to the Parliament.  It was also reported that the demented speaker whose duty is to take measures to maintain peace in parliament and provide protections to MPs while in parliament is reported to have t5old the thug type MPs of UMNP to bring any type of weapons to teach suitable lessons to Sirisena-Mahinda’s fellows.

We really do not know who else brought weapons other than Ranjan Ramanauyake and Palitha Thevarapperuma.  Many UNP MPs have assaulted government NPs who are reported to  have  suffered injuries.  The Kandy district MP Dilum Amunugama has said that Karu Jayasuriya has passed out urine in his dress and remained in his seat for a long time without being able to move out in that status.  Television pictured showed MPs of both sides attacking each other with water bottles, books and documents and dust bins.

MP Indika Anuruddha has complained to the Police post at the Parliamentary complex that both Ranjan Ramanayake and Palitha Thewarapperuma threatened him with a knife inside the chamber. He has said they when he brought Speaker’s attention to this, he said not knives, but swords should also be brought in because of the current.

Minister Johnston Fernando said the MPs who allegedly threatened others with a knife should be arrested and it is necessary to find out how a knife was brought into parliament ne will bring this issue to the attention of both the President and IGP as well,

The Island editorial said today (16^th) that now, Parliament finds itself in the same predicament as a patient with a serious bowel obstruction, given a potent laxative. The country has come within the hailing distance of anarchy. It said that, all three tiers of government are in chaos; the newly introduced, harebrained electoral system has rendered most LG bodies hung and, thereby, ungovernable; the PCs are without elected representatives and the Speaker does not recognise the ruling party in Parliament and the President has refused to accept the party which, the Speaker says, is in power.

UNP MP Ruwan Wijewardene’s Daily Mirror says the whole country watching the drama, unfold within the parliament premises, from their homes and work places have little knowledge of the constitutional procedure regarding the removal of a prime minister, appointing another and how the Cabinet can be dissolved. The editorial says the imbroglio is continuing with neither party giving in. It points out that during the days that passed following the dissolving of parliament on November 9, the people of this country have leaned on their conscience rather than depend on how people quote the Constitution. It says that this is solely to understand the big picture associated with this impasse.
For the record, no party has sought the help of the law challenging the removal of the Prime Minister of the Yahapalana regime the editorial concludes saying with MPs changing sides and some claiming they were offered huge amounts of money the instability continues.

The Ambassadors of the Western countries the former imperialists stupidly falling themselves as the international community with only 20 odd countries whereas there are nearly 200 countries in the world seems to be having no diplomatic work these days and are seated in the parliament gallery watching their minion demented speaker’s arrogant drama in parliament.  Unlike these white skinned modern imperialists one of Sri Lanka’s true friends China has said that it hoped that Sri Lanka can maintain stability and find ways to end the current political impasse. The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying has said that as a traditional friendly neighbour of Sri Lanka, China has been closely following the developments of the situation in Sri Lanka and hope that Sri Lanka can maintain stability and that all relevant parties in Sri Lanka have the wits and ways needed to deal with the current situation.

(To be continued)

It was hilarious to find MP Rishad Badiudeeen who went on an unlawful Umrah pilgrimage recently allegedly sponsored by the reactionary and neo liberal UMNP with Bond Scam funds together with his bête noir Rauf Hakeem has hailed the highly partisan anti Sri Lankan dictatorial and anti democratic acts of the speaker. It is prudent to ask him whether it followed parliament and democratic traditions that this demented speaker allowed UNP MPs to bring in life threatening dangerous weapons to parliament.