(COLOMBO) – Sri Lanka’s main Opposition the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has decided to drop its support for the Government since it had acted in an arbitrary manner in the recent past, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament on Wednesday.
“The President keeps appealing to the Opposition to join hands with the Government whereas the present administration has shown no concern for the Opposition.
The Government recently attacked a peaceful protest organised by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and that it was attempting to obtain SJB support by force.
“We continued to support the Government. We supported it to pass several Acts such as the 21st Amendment. However, the Government has acted arbitrarily during the recent past,” he said.
Kiriella added that the Government had also passed the Online Safety Bill without adhering to the Supreme Court recommendations where 11 of the SC recommendations had not been adhered to when enacting the Bill.
Earlier in the day the SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa and some Opposition MPs left the House as President Ranil Wickremasinghe was set to address the Parliament.
He said it was not a sudden decision for the SJB MPs to walk out of the House at the time of the President’s policy statement and that it was a well-planned decision.
Responding to a question whether the SJB would take action against several MPs who remained in the House despite the party decision, Kiriella said no action will be taken against them as they had a right to do so.
“We are a democratic party. They can take their own decisions,” he said.
