Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s biased act on NCM against newly appointed PM has plunged our beautiful country into a political turmoil.

These past few weeks, we as a nation have witnessed how our beautiful country has plunged into a political turmoil due to the power greed of the United National Party who has done everything possible to remain in government despite failing to serve the masses within these past three years.

These past few days, I am well aware that all of you have watched in disappointment at the behavior of MPs in Parliament, no matter which political party they belong to. 

As a Member of Parliament, who only has the betterment of all you citizens in mind, I condemn these incidents. Our party, the SLPP does not work to behave violently, just like any other political party. However all of these incidents, within these past few days, in Parliament, have only erupted due to the unfair behavior of the Speaker, who has well proved that he is not working to serve the country, but only working to serve his leader, Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The new government led by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse was appointed to serve the people, to economically strengthen this country, to provide better facilities to all citizens and to ensure that Sri Lanka gets the name it truly deserves on the global map. It was high time after the repeated failures of the UNP, these past three years. Like Prime Minister Rajapakse mentioned in Parliament, if he had not stepped in now, Sri Lanka would have fallen into a severe economic crisis with no investments and no proper projects in place. The Cost of Living does not need any mention as we all have felt it and it was time immediate measure were taken without burdening our citizens further.

These past few weeks, I have also watched in disappointment how the Speaker of Parliament, who has spent many years in politics, has resorted to cheap, low tactics just to ensure that his leader and party can continue in power.

We have had many successive Speakers who have fulfilled their roles well to protect the norms and traditions of our Parliament. But this is the first time in history that a Speaker, at a time of political crisis has resorted to illegal methods to ensure that his party, the United National Party, despite losing power, can hang on to their seats.

On Friday, when Parliament convened, MPs belonging to the SLPP and its coalition partners, begun a protest at the Speaker's table, to protest against the dangerous behavior of Hon. Ranjan Ramanayake and Hon. Palitha Thewarapperuma who had smuggled in knives to Parliament last Thursday.

Despite continuous denial by the UNP, the two UNP MPs were caught on camera holding the knives, threatening many SLPP MPs during the brawl which erupted that day. This was a serious breach of trust and could have seriously injured or even killed a Parliamentarian.

In order to voice our strongest protest, several government MPs resorted to a peaceful protest, calling for the arrest of these two UNP MPs. At no time did the government mention that it would not allow Parliamentary proceedings to begin. The government was only protesting as it was their right to do so and it was the role of the Speaker to take immediate action on it.

Proceedings would have been conducted peacefully if only the Speaker had realized the unlawful and dangerous behavior of these two UNP MPs and taken stern action.

But instead, the Speaker, entered the floor of the House, surrounded by Police Officers, and within minutes, as usual said that a No Confidence Motion had been passed and left the House. His agenda these days, only seem to be to pass a No Confidence Motion on the government. This seems to be his sole target.

This in no means, is how a No Confidence Motion is bought on a Prime Minister and government. The Speaker is well aware of this and can never look us in the eye as his conscience will never allow him to. Maybe that is why he never attended the All Party Conference held with President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat at 5pm today.

Prime Minister Rajapakse, has continuously called for a General Election to solve this crisis. He has continuously said this was the only way democracy can be prevail. Why do we sit in Parliament? It is because we have been elected by our citizens to work for them. And now when we want to come to you, to let you decide on who should be your government, at this hour of need, the UNP is saying otherwise. By doing this the UNP is only proving that they have never heard the voices of their citizens and came to power only to fulfill their needs.

I, as a concerned Member of Parliament, call on Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to at least now, stop being partial and fulfill his role. By passing endless No Confidence Motions in an illegal manner, is going to serve no purpose. Instead it will only further deepen the crisis. Our people do not deserve this. 

Maybe if the Speaker and UNP are unaware on how to bring forth a No Confidence Motion on a government, my father, Prime Minister Rajapakse, had on Saturday released a step by step legal guide. Hope the Speaker and UNP educate themselves on it.

We will continue our call for a General Election. Because our motto has always been our 'People are Supreme'.