UNP backbench MPs push to impeach President

Backbench MPs of the United National Party (UNP) have called for the impeachment of President Maithripala Sirisnea once again. The first call to impeach the President was mooted after the 51 day coup late last year.

It is learnt that a group of UNP backbench MPs are now preparing to bring move an impeachment motion against President Sirisena at the next parliamentary session.

UNP backbencher MP Hesha Withanage has told The Sunday Morning that the President must accept some of the responsibilities for the attack and make a public statement on the matter.

“Through the revelations in the Parliamentary Select Committee, it is becoming increasingly clear that the President, as the one in charge of the Defence Ministry, is also responsible for allowing the tragedy to take place. He must acknowledge this fact publicly and he should divulge whatever information he has on the attacks as well,” he has said.

Withanage has noted that the UNP backbenchers expect to bring the impeachment motion in Parliament during the next session on 23 July and that the President has till then to make an announcement.

“The Prime Minister has announced that he would appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee probing the Easter Sunday attacks and disclose all information he had on the attacks. If the President takes similar steps, then we won’t bring the impeachment motion,” Withanage has said, adding that if the President fails, they would go ahead with the impeachment motion.

A 1/3 of MPs is required to present an impeachment motion to Parliament, which would mean the signatures of 75 MPs in the current Parliament.

Leadership unaware

However, it is learnt that the UNP leadership is unaware of the discussion between party backbenchers to commence an impeachment process.

Despite discussions on several occasions on the possibility of impeaching the President, the party seniors had not reached any official decision as such.

A senior UNP Minister said that there has not been any official party decision to impeach the President and such a decision needed the endorsement of the party leadership and seniors.

JVP to support

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) meanwhile has said the party would extend its support to the impeachment motion only if the UNP had the backing of the necessary 75 parliamentarians to move the motion.

“If the UNP has the needed 75 MPs, then the JVP will give its support to the impeachment motion,” JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake has told The Sunday Morning.