News

Ranil gets stumped on Standing Orders

Published

5 years ago

2021/07/21

By Saman Indrajith

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday (20) informed Parliament that the amendments tabled by UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) tabled against Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila could not be accepted.

The Speaker informed the House that the amendment was against Standing Orders.

UNP Leader Wickremesinghe on Monday (19) proposed that the NCM, tabled by the SJB against Minister Udaya Gammanpila, be amended as a no-faith motion against the government.

The Speaker yesterday said: “I wish to make a ruling on the amendment to the no-confidence motion which was handed over to the Secretary General of Parliament by Ranil Wickremasinghe MP yesterday.

“The no-confidence motion which was given notice of by 43 Members of the Opposition is in respect of Udaya Gammanpila, Minister of Energy, and the notice relating to the motion was handed over to the Parliament Secretariat on the 22nd of June, 2021 and was included in the Order Book of Parliament on the 23rd of June, 2021. The Committee on Parliamentary Business on the 5th of July, 2021 decided to take up the Motion for debate on two consecutive days including a special sitting day on the 19th of July 2021 and the 20th of July, 2021.

“The notice of the substantive motion of no confidence had no indication that it could finally be converted into a no-confidence motion on the Cabinet of Ministers which is the government. The Committee on the Parliamentary Business was also not informed that an amendment would be moved to convert the no-confidence motion against the Minister of Energy to be a no-confidence motion against the government. Furthermore, the debate that took place yesterday in the House was very much focused on the no-confidence motion against a single Minister namely, Udaya Gammanpila.

“The legal effect of the amendment handed over to the Secretary General of Parliament by Ranil Wickremesinghe is to convert the no-confidence motion moved against Udaya Gammanpila to assume a new status as a No confidence Motion against the Cabinet of Ministers which is the Government. This was not intended at any stage since notice was given on the Motion.

Standing Order 43 (4) states as follows; ‘An amendment to a question shall be relevant to the question to which such amendment is proposed’.

“According to this principle, the proposed amendment must be relevant to the Motion and fall within the scope of the original motion moved in the House. According to the Indian authority ‘Practice and Procedure of Parliament’ by Kaul and Shakdher sixth edition page 705 ” In order that an amendment to a motion may be admissible, it must satisfy the following conditions; An amendment should be relevant to, and within the scope of the motion to which it is proposed. It should not introduce new or foreign matter or widen the scope of the motion”. Accordingly, an amendment which seeks to convert a No Confidence Motion against a Minister to that of a No Confidence Motion against the Cabinet of Ministers is certainly not within the scope of the original motion and nor it is relevant to the original motion either.

“The Standing Order 43 (5) states as follows; An amendment shall not raise any question which, by the rules of Parliament can only be raised by a substantive motion after notice.”

“We are well aware that a No Confidence Motion against the Cabinet of Ministers could only be brought forward by a substantive motion after due notice is given. Any attempt to subvert this process by bringing an amendment to that effect to an existing No Confidence Motion against a Minister is out of order and contravenes the Standing Orders.

“In the above circumstances, I rule that the proposed amendment to the No Confidence Motion against Udaya Gammanpila, Minister of Energy handed over to the Secretary General of Parliament by Ranil Wickremasinghe MP is out of order, and cannot be accepted.”

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Thileepan rembered on 39th death anniversary

Published

8 hours ago

2026/09/26

Priyan

(Pic by PRIYAN DE SILVA)

A commemorative service was held in memory of Rasaiah Parthipan commonly known by the nom de guerre ‘Thileepan’ in Nallur Jaffna this morning (26).

Parthipan a revolutionary member of the LTTE and a student of the University of Jaffna, commenced a hunger strike on 15th September 1987 untill his death on 26th September 1987. He was 23 years old at the time of his demise.

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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura

Published

21 hours ago

2026/09/26

Priyan

The National Building Research Institute has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambanthota, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 16:00 hrs on 25.09.2026 To 16:00 hrs on 26.09.2026

Accordingly,
LEVEL III [RED] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Neluwa, Nagoda, Niyagama and Thawalama inthe Galle district, Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa and Pasbage Korale in the Kandy district, and Kothmale West, Ambagamuwa, Kotmale East and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya district.

LEVEL II [AMBER] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Elpitiya, Baddegama and Karandeniya in the Galle district, Walallawita in the Kalutara district, Deltota, Udunuwara, Gangawata Korale, Yatinuwara and Panvila in the Kandy district, Aranayake, Dehiowita, Mawanella, Deraniyagala and Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district, Thalawakelle in the Nuwara Eliya district and Ratnapura and Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura district.

LEVEL I [YELLOW] landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colombo district, Attanagalla and Mirigama in the Gampaha district, Katuwana and Walasmulla in the Hambanthota district, Ingiriya and Bulathsinhala in the Kalutara district, Hatharaliyadda, Poojapitiya, Medadumbara, Kundasale, Ududumbara, Thumpane, Akurana, Pathadumbara, Harispattuwa and Pathahewaheta in the Kandy district, Warakapola, Bulathkohupitiya, Galigamuwa, Kegalle and Ruwanwella in the Kegalle district, Mallawapitiya, Alawwa, Polgahawela and Mawathagama in the Kegalle district, Pitabeddara, Kotapola and Pasgoda in the Matara district, Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Elapatha, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Kuruwita and Kalawana in the Ratnapura district

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22A, Judicature Amendment Bills passed with 2/3 majority

Published

23 hours ago

2026/09/26

Thilina Walpola

Parliament yesterday passed the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill with two-thirds majorities, with 158 MPs voting in favour and 63 against each Bill.

The Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) voted with the SJB against the Bills.

NDF MPs Ravi Karunanayake and Faizer Musthapha and SJB Badulla District MP Nayana Wasalathilaka were not present when the votes were taken.

The final vote on the Judicature (Amendment) Bill was announced at around 8.08 p.m. after Opposition MPs called for divisions on its clauses during the Committee Stage.

The votes followed a two-day debate which commenced on Thursday (24), after Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the Bills for their Second Reading.

The Supreme Court’s determination on the Bills was presented to Parliament on Tuesday (22) by Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne. The Court determined that the 22nd Amendment Bill did not require approval at a referendum and could be passed by a special two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The amendment provides for raising the mandatory retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 and that of Court of Appeal judges from 63 to 65. It also provides for the Chief Justice to retire at 67 or after completing six years in office, whichever comes earlier.

The Speaker informed Parliament that the Judicature (Amendment) Bill could be passed by a simple majority.

The SJB opposed the legislation and its MPs attended Parliament dressed in black yesterday. The party also staged a protest at Polduwa Junction, Battaramulla, under the theme “No to 22, which destroys democracy”, with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several SJB politicians participating.