News

Opposition asks Speaker to withdraw his ruling on motions passed by Parliament

Published

3 years ago

2023/08/12

By Saman Indrajith

Opposition political parties yesterday (11) demanded that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena withdraw his ruling that courts are not empowered to issue orders or judgements of any nature related to a motion already passed by the Parliament.

On 09 August, the Speaker gave the ruling after Tourism and Lands Minister Harin Fernando raised a privilege issue on petitions filed against the resolution on domestic debt restructuring that had been approved by the House.

Opposition MPs urged the Speaker to withdraw this ruling as it violates standing orders, creates tension between the court and Parliament and undermines the Constitution.However, the Speaker insisted that he will not withdraw his ruling.

JVP-led NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake: “According to standing orders, we can’t question the decisions of the Speaker. However, given that the Speaker’s rulings become a precedent in Parliament, we need to have serious discussions about these.

“On 09 August you told Parliament that since the Parliament has passed a motion on domestic debt restructuring, the court can’t issue orders or judgements of any nature against a resolution already passed by the Parliament.

“The Speaker said this in the morning, the court was to make a ruling on a case filed against restructuring of EPF funds a few hours later. The Speaker could have made a ruling later if there had been an issue with the court ruling. Also, your ruling is wrong.

“What are motions presented in Parliament? The Constitution has named the kind of motions we can have, one is a no-confidence motion, and the President can also have a motion to seek the opinion of the public on a matter of national importance. These are the two types of motions listed in the Constitution.

“When the government presents the Budget, we vote on the appropriation Bill. This is a law. People have the right to go before the court before it goes to Parliament. The Bill comes to Parliament through the courts. If Parliament passes a motion, and in line with tax laws and financial laws must be amended. The motions therefore fulfill a certain duty. I would like to know if the motion to subject EPF funds to domestic debt

restructuring was a law. Is it a draft law? Is it a regulation? Not at all. It was just a motion presented to Parliament. What is the standard procedure when we make laws? The court can determine if an act is consistent or inconsistent with the Constitution, but it can’t change an Act passed by Parliament.

“But here it was a resolution; it was not an Act. Tomorrow, a government MP presents a motion saying we must close all courts in the country. All government MPs will approve it. Then what? Can’t the court system examine that? Parliament can impose laws only after the court decides if they are consistent with the Constitution.

If we create a precedent where a government motion, once passed in Parliament can’t be examined by courts, that will be a terrible mistake. So, your ruling on 09 August sets a bad precedent. What will happen if the government starts passing motions that can’t be examined by courts? There is only one thing to do, you must take this directive back. Or you will create a crisis.”

SLFP Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekera: “Article 91 of Standing Orders state that MPs must not talk about court cases that are before courts. If an MP starts talking about such a case, the Speaker, or the presiding MP, can ask him or her to sit down. These are things that the Speaker has to do. But you, the person in charge of enforcing the above-mentioned standing order, have violated this provision. Moreover, as MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, the Speaker can give an order if he or she feels the court has made the wrong call. After you said that the court can’t make a call, the Supreme Court dismissed the cases before it. The judges, probably because they wanted to avoid conflict with the legislature, threw out the cases on EPF.”

SJB Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella: “You (Speaker) refers to a directive given by former Speaker Anura Bandaranaike in your order. However, Bandaranaike made the order after the court had given an order.”

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa: “In recent times, the government MPs have raised privilege issues and scared members of independent commissions and the court. They ignored directives on holding elections. The President also invited judges to dinner. Under the domestic debt restructuring, the workers are suffering when multi-millionaires are untouched. This is a violation of fundamental rights. People have gone before courts and the Speaker has given an order, after an MP raised a privilege issue, undermining the courts. You are acting like an agent of the Executive. You are interfering with courts. This is a dangerous situation. The separation of powers is undermined. I urge you to take your order back.”

Freedom People’s Congress (FPC) MP, Prof. G. L. Peiris: “The Constitution is clear on this. Parliament passes a motion and that can’t be directly challenged by courts. However, the fundamental rights chapter of the Constitution says there should be equality. If the government places the entire burden of domestic debt restructuring on the economically weak and leave the rich unaffected, this becomes a problem with equal treatment. This is a violation of the Constitution. The Constitution says that the Supreme Court can hear such cases. If a directive of Parliament causes unequal treatment, the court not only has the right to hear such cases, but has the responsibility to do so. Even the Court of Appeal can look at it. When an FR case is before the Supreme Court, an MP raises a privilege issue and the Speaker gives a directive within a few hours. Parliament and courts must respect each other, this is the glue that holds the Constitution. If you destroy that using privilege issues, you are destroying the foundations of the Constitution. You must immediately withdraw your directive.”

Speaker Abeywardena refused to revoke his ruling.

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News

New Chairperson and Members appointed to the Finance Commission

Published

11 hours ago

2026/07/22

Priyan

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Ms N. R. Anees as the new Chairperson and a member of the Finance Commission.

J. M. C. J. Wijetunga and K. Karunaharan have been appointed as the other members of the Commission.

The letters of appointment were presented to the appointees by the Secretary to the President, Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat ton Monday (20) afternoon

The appointments were made to fill the vacancies createdy following the expiry of the terms of office of the previous members of the Finance Commission.

(PMD)

News

True leadership is not about titles or power, but about acting responsibly for the well-being of others – Prime Minister

Published

12 hours ago

2026/07/22

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that true leadership is not about titles or power, but about acting responsibly, with compassion, and working for the well being of the others.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while attending the President’s Guide Award and Prime Minister’s Award Ceremony, organized by the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association, one of the country’s leading voluntary organizations dedicated to empowering girls and young women. The ceremony was held on Sunday (19th July )at Temple Trees in Colombo.

During the event, the Prime Minister presented medals and certificates to the award recipients.

A total of 350 awards were presented at this year’s ceremony, comprising 338 President’s Guide Awards and 12 Prime Minister’s Awards, in recognition of the recipients’ discipline, resilience, integrity, and commitment to serving others.

Addressing the occasion, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that one of the greatest strengths of the Girl Guides association is its commitment to providing equal opportunities to every child, regardless of their background or abilities. The Prime Minister also emphasized that true leadership is not defined by titles or power, but by acting responsibly, listening with compassion, and working for the well-being of others.

The Prime Minister further noted that while women had limited opportunities in the past, today increasing opportunities are being created for girls and women across all sectors, and young women are making remarkable progress in every field. The Prime Minister further stressed that every girl and young woman deserves equal opportunities to improve themselves, noting that the country needs young women leaders who are ready to step forward to build a better future for Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister also highlighted that, particularly at a time when Sri Lanka is undertaking significant economic and democratic reforms, achieving sustainable national progress requires not only economic growth but also the development of citizens who uphold strong ethical values and social responsibility. In this regard, she commended the invaluable contribution made by the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association.

Guided by its motto, “Be Prepared,” the Girl Guiding Movement in Sri Lanka was first established on 21 March 1917 at Kandy High School by Miss Jenny Calverley Green. Today, the movement operates through seven branches; Butterflies, the Little Friends, the Guides, the Rangers, the Youth, the Differently Abled Guides, and the Community Guiding Units, catering to different age groups and abilities. The President’s Guide Award is the highest honour that can be achieved by a Girl Guide and is awarded only to those who successfully complete the required challenges, written and oral examinations, and the BP Challenge. The Prime Minister’s Award is presented as the highest recognition within the Ranger Guide section.

The event was attended by at the President of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association Swarnika Pitigala, Chief Commissioner Dr. Kushantha Herath, President’s Guide Commissioner Pushpa Perera, Prime Minister’s Guide Commissioner Aruni Karunaratne, other senior officials of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association, President’s Guides and Prime Minister’s Guides, as well as a large number of their parents.

(Prime Minister’s Media Division)

News

Customs asked to resume probe or face legal action

Published

21 hours ago

2026/07/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

Rs. 16 bn BMW revenue fraud:

Public interest litigation activist Nagananda Kodituwakku has said he will initiate appropriate proceedings against Director General of Customs, Wimal S.K. Liyanagama, in terms of the Anti-Corruption Act No 9 of 2023, unless the Customs carries out a revenue fraud inquiry to recover approximately Rs 16 bn in lost government revenue.

General Secretary of Vinivida Foundation, and former Customs officer, Kodituwakku said that though the Department, in response to his request for a meeting to discuss the issue, in writing, assured them that the investigation was underway, they found that the actual situation was not so.

Kodituwakku alleged that the Customs Chief had neglected what he called statutory duties under the Customs Ordinance, by disregarding his request for a meeting.

Kodituwakku said the investigation into the importation of 1,728 brand new BMW vehicles, under the concessionary duty permits issued by the government for the public servants, between 2011 and 2014, had been stalled.

The civil society activist said that investigations had revealed the vehicles hadn’t been imported by the permit holders themselves but others. It also transpired that the value of the imported vehicles, mentioned in the commercial invoices, proforma invoices and the CusDecs, tendered to Customs in the names of the permit holders, were not the actual values for the vehicles in question.

The high-profile case has been handled by the Central Investigation Directorate, at that time headed by Murugesu Thayabaran, a batchmate of Kodituwakku.

The ex-Customs officer said that he had appeared as counsel for Thayabaran in Court of Appeal and was determined to bring the case to a successful conclusion. According to him, the importer, over the years, had been represented by nine President’s Counsel as the case dragged on from the time of P.S.M. Charles, Director General, Customs.

Kodituwakku made available letters he wrote to the Customs and other parties on this issue, to The Island. Pointing out that the Court of Appeal on 7 May, 2024, dismissed the importer’s final appeal regarding the case pertaining to the revenue loss of Rs. 16 bn, Kodituwakku said that although the court had cleared the way for the Customs probe, no action had been taken.

However, the Court of Appeal ruling was given before Liyanagama succeeded Seevali Arukgoda as DG Customs on 6 May, 2026. Liyanagama served as Director General of the Department of Management Services at the Treasury before the new appointment.

Kodituwakku said that he had also brought the Customs case to the attention of the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

Emphasising the failure on the part of the Opposition to raise this issue, both in and outside Parliament, Kodituwakku said that since the exposure of the BMW scam, during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidency, there had been four presidents, namely Maithripala Sirisena, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Ranil Wickremesinghe and incumbent Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Unfortunately, successive administrations had allowed the interested parties to drag the case. The lack of interest shown by political parties revealed that they not only protected those responsible but encouraged corrupt practices of allowing third parties to import vehicles in terms of permits issued to legitimate recipients of such permits.

Having campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, during the presidential and parliamentary polls in 2024, the NPP couldn’t, under any circumstances, turn a blind eye to this situation, Kodituwakku said, adding that even the IMF should be concerned of the failure on the part of successive governments to recover the money.

By Shamindra Ferdinando