Parliamentary resolution on SLC non-binding – Deputy Speaker

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakshe yesterday (10) said that a unanimous decision taken by Parliament to ask the top management of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to vacate office was non-binding. Therefore, the SLC wouldn’t comply with the decision taken by Parliament, the Deputy Speaker said.

The Hambantota District MP said so when The Island asked him whether Parliament would inform SLC of its decision. “Actually, our decision in this regard is irrelevant,” the Deputy Speaker said, adding that SLC had to be dealt with, according to the relevant laws.

A joint resolution on SLC moved by Sajith Premadasa, in his capacity as the Opposition Leader, was endorsed by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. The Parliament endorsed the resolution, titled ‘the removal of the corrupt SLC management’ without a vote.

Responding to another query, the Deputy Speaker pointed out that such pronouncements, regardless of the institution/institutions implicated, wouldn’t have any legal impact, at all. However, SLC Secretary Mohan de Silva resigned immediately after the Sports Minister announced an interim committee.

Sports Ministry Secretary Kanapathipillai Mahesan said that the Ministry was following up on the matter. Mahesan, who received the appointment as Sports Ministry Secretary in January this year said that the Ministry would have to consult the Attorney General in that regard. Referring to the SLC moving court against the appointment of a seven-member Interim Committee, in place of SLC, by the Sports Minister, the former District Secretary said that he was in the process of receiving a legal opinion. Mahesan indicated that the Ministry would take action on the basis of the opinion expressed by the AG.

Mahesan acknowledged that Parliament is the supreme body in the land. Therefore, regardless of the legality of the resolution, the announcement made by Parliament couldn’t be ignored, the official said, adding that in this case lawmaker Ranasinghe had acted in terms of the powers exercised by him as a member of the Cabinet.

Deputy Speaker Rajapaksa said that political parties couldn’t have been unaware that the joint resolution wouldn’t compel SLC bosses to go.

Auditor General W.P.C. Wickremaratne was not available for comment. The Island asked Jathika Jana Balawegaya MP Vijitha Herath why he was missing at the time Parliament unanimously adopted the joint resolution. The Gampaha District MP pointed out that some interested parties were making an attempt to deceive the public that the JJB skipped the parliamentary proceedings. “MP Harini Amarasuriya attended Parliament along with me though JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake was out of the country,” MP Herath said, adding that there couldn’t be any suspicion regarding their absence in Parliament towards the end of the proceedings as a vote didn’t take place.

MP Herath said that the bottom-line is that the joint resolution couldn’t compel SLC bosses to quit morally on the weight of opinion against them. The MP noted that the Court of Appeal on Oct 07 suspended for a period of two weeks Sports Minister Ranasinghe’s Gazette that paved the way for appointment of an Interim Committee. The JVPer said that the issues at hand couldn’t be addressed by ad-hoc measures.