Parliament is scheduled to debate a no-confidence motion against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody on April 10, marking the first such motion tabled against a minister since the NPP government took office in September 2024.
The motion, submitted by the opposition, centres on allegations tied to the procurement and quality of coal imports and their impact on power generation. Opposition MPs contend that irregularities in coal supply contributed to disruptions in electricity generation, prompting the move to formally censure the minister.
A recent Auditor General’s special audit report on coal imports — tabled in Parliament on April 7 by Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake — is expected to frame much of the debate. The audit quantified efficiency losses at Rs. 2.24 billion and found that the laboratory issuing quality reports at the loading port for controversial supplier Trident Company had its licence cancelled, and that three other bidders who had not confirmed their registration were allowed to submit tenders. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has already acknowledged in Parliament that sub-standard coal was delivered to the Lakvijaya Power Plant.
The Minister’s own indictment in an unrelated corruption case linked to his tenure as a state official is also expected to be raised by opposition members during the debate. G.L. Peiris has confirmed an SLPP bloc is joining the SJB in calling for Jayakody’s resignation, making it a multi-party opposition front.
The government is expected to defeat the motion, given its parliamentary majority. The motion was handed over to the Speaker last month, with the Committee on Parliamentary Business scheduling the debate for today. The motion was defeated 153-49, with the government announcing a Presidential Commission to investigate coal procurement from 2009 to the present.
Sources: Newswire, The Island
