• SJB MP  Marikkar began speaking without reading out the motion

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana 

The debate on the no-confidence motion against Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila got underway in Parliament yesterday with heated arguments when SJB MP S. M. Marikkar began speaking without reading out the motion. 

The ruling party objected at the end of Mr. Marikkar’s speech, saying that the MP has not moved the motion. The issue actually came up when MP Kabir Hashim stood up to second it. 

“An MP has to read out a motion when he is moving one as per the Standing Orders governing parliamentary businesses. The Standing Orders have to be followed, especially when an important motion such as a no-confidence motion is moved,” Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said. 

Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said the government should bring in a no-confidence motion against SJB as they seemed to be not knowing how to move a motion. “A no-confidence motion has to be brought against the SJB as they don’t know the standing orders. An MP cannot speak twice. If Mr. Marikkar is allowed to speak again, all the other members should be allowed to speak twice during the debate,” he said. 

Mr. Marikkar then questioned whether the government is worried about the motion. Mr. Hashim who rose to second the motion questioned whether the government members are suffering from loose motion. “Government MPs seem to be suffering from loose motion and the chambers will have to be cleaned by evening,” he said. 

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who intervened in the cross-talk proposed that Mr. Marikkar be allowed to read out the motion.