No-confidence motion against Energy Minister defeated in Parliament

The motion of no-confidence submitted by opposition Members of Parliament against Minister of Energy, Kumara Jayakody, was defeated by a majority of 104 votes on Friday (10). 

A total of 153 MPs voted against the motion while 49 opposition members voted in favour when the division was held this evening following the debate on the no-confidence motion. 

The motion was recently presented to the Speaker by the joint opposition, led by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and was taken up for debate in Parliament today (10).

The no-confidence motion had been filed against Minister Kumara Jayakody on the grounds of alleged failure to exercise the powers vested in him under the Constitution in relation to the management of the energy sector.

The motion, signed by opposition MPs, was handed over to the Speaker on March 19. It claims that the Minister of Energy failed to discharge his primary duty to ensure the procurement of sufficient and quality coal for the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai. It further states that such gross negligence in overseeing a critical national energy asset constitutes a fundamental breach of ministerial responsibility.

The motion also points out that the Minister of Energy has been formally charged before the Colombo High Court by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) under Section 70 of the Bribery Act for committing an ‘‘act of corruption’‘ while serving as the Procurement Manager of the Ceylon Fertilizer Company Limited.