The opposition will submit its no-confidence motion against Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara to the Speaker of Parliament next week, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian Ajith P. Perera has said.
Perera alleged that the Justice Minister had “neglected all his responsibilities,” and said the motion was prompted by what the opposition describes as his failure to ensure the safety of the prison officers and inmates killed in the unrest at the Negombo Prison. Opposition MPs, including Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, signed the motion in Parliament on July 10; its debate date is to be fixed by the parliamentary business committee.
The move is the latest in a series of no-confidence motions filed by the opposition in recent months. In April, a motion against then Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody over the substandard coal controversy was defeated by a majority of 104 votes, with 153 MPs voting against and 49 in favour. In January, opposition MPs signed a motion against Prime Minister and Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, raising concerns over the government’s education reforms.
The Negombo Prison unrest — a clash involving drug traffickers and organised-crime suspects — left a large number of prison officers and inmates dead and around 100 people injured, and has become a significant political flashpoint for the government. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has separately launched an investigation into the violence.
