No-confidence motion lacks credibility – Sampanthan

Opposition Leader R Sampanthan says that the wording and timing of the no-confidence motion, which seeks to implicate the Prime Minister with the bond scam, are indicative of the pursuit of a political agenda through the motion rather than fixing responsibility in regard to the bond scam. 

“The question must be raised as to why the wording is so vague and lacking in any specific charge against the Prime Minister in regard to the fraud pertaining to the bond scam per say,” he said, delivering a statement in Parliament today (4) during the debate on the motion.  

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader stated that the wording is too loose and general in nature and that it could be that the PM is facing this situation because of the confidence he placed on someone who has betrayed him. 

“But where is the evidence or charge against the Prime Minister of involvement in the bond scam?

Is the wording of the motion so loose and so general because of the lack of specific material against the Prime Minister in regard to the bond scam?” he questioned. 

“And if that is true in my submission the motion lacks credibility,” he charged.  

With regard to the timing of the motion, he stated that the bond scam occurred 3 years ago and that it has been the subject of total public focus for a long period of time. “Why has this motion of no-confidence been brought against the Prime Minister only now?” he asked the House. 

Sampanthan also inquired as to whether this motion against the PM is the first step in a plan to bring down “totally and completely” the present government.

He stated that it is their view that the inadequate performance by the government in the first half of their term was the cause of the result at the recent local government polls in which the SLFP and UNP suffered defeat.

He said if they perform better in the next two and a half years, public disenchantment can change. 

Unfortunately the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) does not want that to happen, he said. They want to first defeat the PM and the next target will be the President, he claimed. “They want the government brought down.”

The TNA leader further stated that they want the government to implement the mandate given to it by the country.  

“In these circumstances how can we possibly support this no-confidence motion?”

He alleged that the true intentions of the Podujana Peramuna are shrouded in an environment of prejudice based upon the bond scam. We cannot fall victim to such and allow ourselves to be used to achieve their political objective, Sampanthan said.