A no-confidence motion against Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, signed by 44 opposition Members of Parliament, was formally handed over to the Secretary-General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadheera, on Friday.
The motion sets out around 50 allegations against the Speaker. These include claims of misconduct, alleged misuse of public property, financial irregularities, conflicts of interest and violations of parliamentary procedure.
The opposition has called on the Speaker to step down. It says he has acted in a biased and undemocratic manner in handling proceedings in the House.
The allegations are those made in the motion by the opposition members who signed it. They have not been tested, and no response from the Speaker was available in the information reviewed.
Under Sri Lanka’s parliamentary procedure, a motion of this kind must be formally placed on the order paper before it can be taken up for debate and a vote. The date on which Parliament may consider it had not been announced.
