The motion expressing confidence in the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to function as the Prime Minister has been passed at the Parliament.

The motion passed with a parliamentary majority of 117 votes, obtained via an electronic system.

The United National Party (UNP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) voted in favor of the motion while the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) abstained from voting. The motion did not receive any votes against it.

The parliamentarians of the UPFA were not present at the voting as they had boycotted today’s (12) parliamentary session.

The motion reading ‘that this House resolves that Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Member of Parliament commands the confidence of Parliament to function as the Prime Minister’ was presented by UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa and was seconded by MP Mangala Samaraweera.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, thanking the Parliamentarians for voting in confidence of him, stated that everyone, regardless of their party, should act respecting the constitution and that the constitution is the prime law of the country.

Quoting Abraham Lincoln’s saying ‘a government of the people, by the people, for the people’, Wickremesinghe stated that, as a democratic country appoints its government as per decision of the people and not the President.

Subsequently, the parliament was adjourned and the next parliamentary session was scheduled on the 18th December at 1 pm.