Parliament will debate the opposition’s no-confidence motion against Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara on Friday (24), Ada Derana reported.
Opposition MPs handed the motion to Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne on Tuesday (21), formally activating a motion that opposition members — including Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa — signed in Parliament on July 10.
The opposition says it moved against the minister over what it describes as his failure to ensure the safety of the prison officers and inmates who died during the unrest at the Negombo prison. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Ajith P. Perera has alleged that Nanayakkara neglected the responsibilities of his portfolio.
The motion holds the minister accountable for shortcomings in the handling of the prison system, which falls under the Justice Ministry. The opposition argues that duties tied to prison administration, reform and inmate welfare were not adequately carried out in the lead-up to the deadly disturbance.
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.
The no-confidence motion is the latest in a series filed by the opposition in recent months. The Justice Minister had not publicly responded to the motion at the time it was submitted.
Update (July 24): Parliament decisively defeated the no-confidence motion on Friday, July 24. When it was put to a vote, 152 MPs voted against the motion and 36 in favour, with no abstentions, handing the government a commanding majority in support of the minister, NewsFirst reported. The opposition had held Nanayakkara accountable for the handling of the Negombo prison unrest, arguing it exposed shortcomings in the administration and oversight of the prison system.
