No-Confidence Motion to Pro-LTTE Opposition Leader by JO
The Joint Opposition (JO) is turning its guns on the pro-LTTE Tamil terrorists TNA Parliamentary Group Leader and Leader of the Opposition Rajavarothayam Sampanthan who was elected to Parliament from the Trincomalee District.
A news story in a national paper stated that;
“The Joint Opposition has decided to submit a letter to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya demanding that Tamil National Alliance Leader R. Sampanthan be removed as the Opposition Leader of Parliament.
“If the Speaker does not respond positively, the JO is even prepared to submit a No-Confidence Motion against the Opposition Leader,” a senior JO member said.
MP Dinesh Gunawardane said the JO would agitate both nationally and internationally for the removal of Sampanthan as he had failed to exercise his duties properly as the
Opposition Leader.”
“Citing Sampanthan’s latest decision to vote against the JO sponsored No-Confidence Motion against the Prime Minister, Gunawardane charged that Sampanthan continued to back the Government and especially the Premier blindly in order to save his own position.
Gunawardane said that Sampanthan had failed to galvanise the Opposition in a constructive manner in order to fight the shortcomings of the Government. He said the Joint Opposition should be granted the post of Opposition Leader without delay as it had the required numbers in Parliament and the will to fight against the Government’s flaws.”
The Opposition Leader himself in a fighting mood was ready to face the impending No-Confidence Motion.
The UNP Government led by President Junius Richard Jayewardene went down in Parliamentary history as the only Govt. whose ruling party members presented, debated and passed a No-Confidence Motion against the then Leader of the Opposition in July 1981.
In a remarkable coincidence, the Opposition Leader at that time too was a Sri Lankan Tamil. Appappillai Amirthalingam, one of the fathers of Tamil terrorism, the Secretary-General of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) was the Leader of the Opposition, who underwent the “novel” experience of having Govt. MPs pass a No-Confidence Motion against him.
Amirthalingam tried valiantly to steer a difficult path between commitment to the electoral mandate and the pragmatic necessity for democratic politics. He misused the Leader of the Opposition post to promote Tamil terrorist separatism in Sri Lanka. By doing so he incurred the wrath of many hawks in the Govt. like former Industries and Scientific Affairs Minister Cyril Mathew.
There was a conventional expectation that Leaders of the Opposition do not criticise Governments on foreign soil. Amirthalingam however considered himself to be a liberation movement leader and did not abide by such norms. He was very critical particularly when he addressed gatherings of Sri Lankan Tamils in the West or meetings in Tamil Nadu.
Amirthalingam also violated protocol while abroad. As the Leader of the Opposition was on par with a Cabinet Minister, Sri Lankan diplomatic missions were expected to provide transport and other services to the visiting dignitary.
Amirthalingam however dispensed with such protocol measures and opted to liaise independently with Tamil expatriates many of whom were supportive of Tamil terrorists.
While Sampanthan, an anti-Sinhalese is being targeted by the Joint Opposition there is a growing school of thought among sections of Tamils that the TNA leader should give up his Opposition Leader post voluntarily.
Sampanthan is functioning as the most loyal Leader of the Opposition to the pro-minority government lead by Ranil and Sirisena for his racial gains. Sampanthan has not engaged with any activities in the southern part of the country as the capacity of the Opposition Leader but tirelessly working to ethnic cleansing for Sinhala people from North and East two provinces and working to divide the country in to Tamil eelam through the so called federalism.
472 Viewers
