President does not accept today’s no-confidence vote – Lakshman Yapa

President Maithripala Sirisena said he does not accept the results of today’s vote in Parliament since his instructions yesterday were not followed, according to UPFA MP Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena.

“He stated that what they did in Parliament was wrong. He said it was not done the way said yesterday,” the MP said, speaking to reporters following a meeting with the President.

He said that the president had asked the opposition parties yesterday to act according to Standing Order 113, but that did not happen today and that they have not removed the clause from the no-confidence motion as requested by the President.

“Therefore he (the President) said that the vote today is not valid and that he will not accept it,” Abeywardena said.

The MP said that the President instructed the UPFA parliamentary group to show their majority in the Parliament and to continue their work.

The Office of the Speaker had announced that the second clause of the motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the government was passed in the Parliament today (16) according to the parliamentary Standing Orders and that the President has been informed of the passage of the resolution.

Issuing a press release, it said that the motion has been presented to the Parliament by MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake and seconded by MP Vijitha Herath.

This was in accordance with the decision taken at the special meeting held with the President, the Speaker and party leaders last evening (15).

The press release issued by the Speaker’s Office stated that, in terms with the Article 48(2) of the Constitution, the parliament accepts the official statement on the dissolution of the Cabinet of Ministers, as well as the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the government.

The Speaker’s Office said that the no-confidence motion, which was passed along with the signatures of 112 Parliamentarians, has been sent to the President Maithripala Sirisena by the Speaker.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, for the first time in Sri Lanka’s history, entered the floor of the House protected behind dozens of police officials as MPs from the government side disrupted the house and delayed the proceedings.

The session was delayed for over 30 minutes as government MPs had begun a protest surrounding the Speaker’s chair and an MP occupying the Speaker’s seat. 

They had begun the protest, calling for the immediate arrest of two MPs from the United National Party (UNP), for bringing in knives into the Parliament a day earlier. 

President Maithripala Sirisena, issuing a statement on his official Twitter account urged all parliamentarians to uphold the principles of democracy and parliamentary traditions at all times. 

He also said he will not prorogue Parliament under any circumstances.