UNP rebels to thwart disciplinary moves against them

‘Oppn leader said Parliamentarians can act as jury’:

Chaminda Perera and Indika Polkotuwa

UNP Parliamentarians who voted for the impeachment motion against former Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayke at the division in Parliament, yesterday vowed to take legal action to prevent the party from holding a disciplinary inquiry against them.

They said they carried out a national duty by voting for the impeachment motion against Dr. Bandaranayake according to their conscience. UNP Galle district parliamentarian Manusha Nanayakkara yesterday said UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe resorted to various manoeuvers to keep the UNP membership intact after every humiliating defeat of the party.

He was of the view that conducting disciplinary inquiry against them is another ruse by Wickremesinghe to retain party members disappointed with the leadership. Nanayakkara said he received three letters from the Chief Opposition Whip directing him not to express any opinion for the impeachment motion in Parliament.

“The Chief Opposition Whip directed me not to vote for the impeachment motion in the House,” he said. Speaking at a press conference at the Media Ministry yesterday, Nanayakkara said the Chief Opposition Whip’s directive to him not to express views or vote for the impeachment motion is a complete violation of the Constitutional provisions.

Nanayakkara sent a letter to the Chief Opposition Whip stating that the parliamentarians are obliged in terms of the Constitution to consider the merits and demerits if any, of the Parliamentary Select Committee report in relation to the impeachment motion and in addition to consider other matters brought to the notice of the House during the debate and adjudicate the same without any political and other bias.

He said the Opposition Leader who himself announced in Parliaments that the legislators can act as the members of jury, when an impeachment motion was brought against a Chief Justice or a President, violated all democratic norms and practices by forcing Opposition members in the House to take decision against their conscience.

The Parliamentarian said the UNP leader planned to deprive the government of a two thirds majority in Parliament by taking action against UNP parliamentarians who support the government. He said the UNP leader used the impeachment process to deal with parliamentarians crying for democracy in the party.

Nanayakkara said a group of UNP parliamentarians decided to support the 18th Amendment to the Constitution to accelerate the government’s development march.

Meanwhile, Environment Deputy Minister A R M Abdul Cader yesterday said the UNP can not take any action against against him and UNP parliamentarians who voted in favour of the impeachment motion as they carried out a national duty by the people. He said the country is above political and other petty differences. Cader said he would extended his fullest support to the government in the future too.

The deputy minister said UNP’s legal advisors have also admitted that the impeachment process is constitutional.