by Shamindra Ferdinando

SLMC Secretary M. Nizam Kariapper, PC, yesterday (08) said that the expulsion of Batticaloa District MP Zainul Abdeen Nazeer Ahamed from Parliament for switching allegiance to the government in violation of a decision by the party to vote against Budget 2022 would impact the upcoming vote on Budget 2024.

Ahamed voted for the Budget during the Third Reading on 10 Dec., 2021.SC justices P. Padman Surasena, S. Thurairaja, PC and Mahinda Samyawardhena unanimously endorsed the SLMC decision to expel Ahamed.

Kariapper, who received the appointment as SLMC Secretary in Sept. 2017 said that the SC ruling would encourage political parties to follow proper procedures in dealing with members voting against specific party decisions.

Responding to another query, Kariapper said that two other SLMC MPs, H. M. M. Harees (Digamadulla), Faizal Cassim (Didamadulla) had voted for Budget 2022 along with MP Ahamed. “We didn’t press for legal action against them as both of them later apologised and assured they wouldn’t act contrary to decisions taken by the party,” Kariapper said. Five SLMCers were elected to Parliament on the SJB ticket at the last parliamentary election in Aug. 2020.

Budget 2024 will be presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister, on 13 Nov.

The debate on the Second Reading of the Budget will be held from 14 to 21 Nov., and the voting on the Second Reading is scheduled to be held in the afternoon of 21 Nov.

The vote on the Third Reading is scheduled to be held on 13 Dec. Wickremesinghe with just one UNP MP in the current Parliament is dependent on the SLPP, which is still the largest parliamentary group.

Kariapper alleged that one-time Eastern Province Chief Minister Ahamed had sought to sidestep the issue by not responding to a show-cause letter thereby effectively blocking a proper inquiry. “We are pretty confident that the MPs Harees and Cassim won’t act against party directives,” Kariapper said.Asked whether ex-MP Ahamed would seek a fuller bench of the SC to review the decision, Kariapper said that interested

parties had floated that idea, but such a move was unlikely. Three members of All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) namely Muszhaaraff Muthunabeen, Ishaq Rahman and Ali Sabri Raheem voted for Budget 2022. ACMC leader and former minister Rishad Bathiudeen, MP, declared disciplinary action against them though the party didn’t pursue legal action against them. Bathiuden didn’t answer his mobile phone yesterday.

Kariapper said the SJB and its constituents could announce their decision on the forthcoming budget vote at proper forum and inform all MPs, including Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, Tourism and Lands Minister Harin Fernando and State Tourism and Minister Dayana Gamage. The SLMC official pointed out that Nanayakkara and Fernando, elected on the SJB ticket, had moved the Supreme Court against the party’s decision to expel them.

SLFP rebels who received ministerial portfolios at the expense of the party too would be in a dilemma, political sources said.

Kariapper said that in his capacity as the Secretary, SLMC, he had already informed Chairman of the Election Commission and Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera of the SLMC’s decision to appoint Ali Zahir Moulana in place of unseated Ahamed.

Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake told The Island that once the Supreme Court brought the decision pertaining to MP Ahamed to the notice of the General Secretary, her office would inform the Election Commission. “Once the EC receives the Secretary General’s indication in this regard, we’ll ask the Returning Officer, Batticaloa, to name Ahamed’s replacement.”

R.M.A.L. Rathnayake, a former Additional Commissioner General of Elections, recently received the appointment as the Chairman of the Election Commission. President Ranil Wickrejmesinghe appointed M.A. Pathmasiri Chandrawansha Perera and Ameer Mohommed Faiz as members of the EC whereas one vacancy remained.