voted out

The motion moved by the government to remove PUCSL Chairman was passed by a majority of 46 votes  

politicians in this country make decisions according to their whims and fancies and not based on data - Janaka Ratnayake

Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Chairman Janaka Ratnayake was seen at his office watching the live Parliamentary session where the motion to remove him was taken up for vote. 
Pic by Lahiru Harshana

• Govt. proves it commands parliamentary majority
• Speaker says Janaka Ratnayake now a non entity
• Opposition votes against motion  

By Yohan Perera, Ajith Siriwardana and  
Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama

Parliament yesterday voted out Chairman of Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake by adopting a motion with 123 votes in favour and 77 against, an act that indicates that the government commands majority support of the House.   

Ratnayake, an appointee of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had policy clashes with the current government and Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara in particular regarding electricity price revisions. 

Ratnayake, as the chairman of the PUCSL which regulates utility prices, demanded at least a 20 percent reduction of electricity tariffs given the reduced demand for electricity, reduced exchange rate and drop in fuel prices. 

However, his plan clashed with the policy priorities of the government and therefore the motion to remove him from office was shrouded in controversy.   

During the debate, Minister Wijesekara blackguarded the outgoing chairman saying he was acting with political interests even without heeding the other commission members. Ruling party MP Nimal Lansa also launched a scathing attack on him, even calling him a mad man.    However, the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) stood by Ratnayake and voted against the motion. It created divisions within the party since its MPs Vadivel Suresh, A. H. M. Fowzie and Kumara Welgama voted in favour of the motion along with the ruling side. The National People’s Power also voted against the motion.   

The crux of the opposition’s argument was that the motion heralded the death-knell of independent commissions of Sri Lanka.   

Opposition MP Ali Sabri Raheem who is in the centre of controversy over the smuggling of gold and smartphones into the country raised his hands against the motion though he used to vote along with the government on the previous occasions.   

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told Daily Mirror after the vote that Parliament stands supreme and Ratnayake’s decisions are no longer valid.   
Meanwhile Ratnayake told a press conference that politicians in this country make decisions according to their whims and fancies and not based on data and now the politicians do not have to face that barrier. “Even though I was removed from the post or if the government changes, the PUCSL will not change and is still active. We need at least 10 more commissions like the PUCSL, and these commissions will need chairmen like me to change this country.” He said.   

Ratnayake requested the remaining commission members to continue with their duties without political interventions.    “The subject minister did not carry out his duty properly. He had gone wrong from the beginning, instead of performing his duties.