Speaker rules No-Confidence Motion against Deputy Defence Minister invalid

COLOMBO (News 1st); Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne has ruled that the No-Confidence Motion submitted against Major-General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara, Deputy Minister of Defence, is out of order, citing constitutional and procedural grounds.

The motion, submitted on 12th August 2025 by 32 Opposition MPs, including the Leader of the Opposition, was addressed in a formal announcement by the Speaker, following his initial statement made on 8th September 2025.

Dr. Wickramaratne referred to Standing Order 76(1), which grants the Speaker authority over parliamentary procedure, stating that his rulings are not subject to appeal unless challenged through a substantive motion.

He clarified that Sri Lanka’s 1978 Constitution and Parliamentary Standing Orders do not provide for No-Confidence Motions against individual Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, or other portfolio holders. The only constitutional provision for such a motion is Article 49(2), which applies to the Government as a whole.

“While motions have previously been brought against individual ministers, the legal basis for such precedents remains questionable,” the Speaker noted.

He further explained that Deputy Ministers, appointed under Article 46(1), function to assist Cabinet Ministers but have not been delegated specific powers under Article 46(2). Therefore, the motion lacks procedural validity under Standing Order 27(3).

Dr. Wickramaratne advised that if Members wish to raise concerns regarding the conduct of officeholders, including Deputy Ministers, it must be done through a substantive motion, especially given the national importance of matters such as the Easter Sunday attacks, which were referenced in the motion.

“The Attorney General has opined that the specific factors in the motion have no direct bearing on the case pending before the courts,” he added.