No-Confidence Motion Against Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne Sparks Chaos in Parliament

04-Nov-2026

.

Parliament was plunged into turmoil on November 3 after Opposition MPs were denied permission to raise privilege issues, including matters relating to the no-confidence motion against Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne.

Angered by the decision, Opposition MPs moved into the centre of the Chamber and raised slogans against the Speaker. Meanwhile, the Sergeant-at-Arms and parliamentary officials surrounded the ceremonial mace and provided tight security to prevent it from being removed.

The commotion erupted after Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, who was presiding over the sitting, refused to allow Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and other Opposition MPs to raise the privilege issues they had submitted to Parliament.

Parliament convened at 9.30 a.m. on November 3 under the chairmanship of the Deputy Speaker.

Following the main business of the House, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa raised a point of order and sought permission to bring up his privilege issues. When permission was denied, the matter escalated into a heated exchange in the Chamber.

The privilege complaints had been submitted by MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara, Mujibur Rahman and Ajith P. Perera, who maintained that their parliamentary privileges had been violated. The ensuing uproar continued for nearly an hour.

Raising a point of order, the Opposition Leader said:

"I had submitted a privilege complaint under Standing Orders 29(1) and 29(2). I had personally brought this matter to the attention of an Assistant Officer at the Speaker's Office as well as the Deputy Speaker. I now request permission to raise my privilege issue.

"My complaint concerns matters including the right of Parliamentarians to freedom of speech and their right to bring a no-confidence motion against the Speaker. Therefore, I request that I be given an opportunity to raise this privilege issue in the House."

Responding to him, the Deputy Speaker said that five requests concerning privilege issues had been submitted, but they had not been handed over within the stipulated time. He added that the requests were being examined.

The Opposition Leader subsequently raised another point of order, stating that they had been instructed to visit the Speaker's Office at 9.15 a.m. to submit the privilege complaints. However, when they arrived, the Speaker was not present. They had therefore handed the documents over to an official who was there, he said.

Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara also raised a point of order, stating that he had submitted his complaint ten minutes before 9.00 a.m. and requested an opportunity to raise the matter.

Subsequently, MP Mujibur Rahman said that they had handed over their complaints before 9.00 a.m. yesterday morning. They had not known that the Speaker would not be present in the Chamber and would have submitted the documents directly to the Deputy Speaker had they known, he said.

Opposition MPs Ajith P. Perera, Mujibur Rahman, Ravi Karunanayake, Harsha de Silva, S.M. Marikkar and Shanakiyan Rasamanickam also expressed their views and registered their objections.

However, when the Deputy Speaker announced that neither the Opposition Leader nor the other MPs would be permitted to raise their privilege issues, the situation in the Chamber deteriorated.

SJB MPs stood up from their seats, held up placards against the Speaker and began protesting. They then suddenly raised slogans, moved into the centre of the Chamber and approached the Speaker's Chair.

At this point, some Opposition MPs also attempted to remove the ceremonial mace. Parliamentary officials rushed to surround it and provided tight security to prevent it from being taken away.

Meanwhile, Government MPs also rose from their seats and gathered around Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, who was addressing the House at the time.

Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, who is also the Chief Government Whip, urged the Deputy Speaker to restore order in the Chamber and also instructed members of his own side to remain calm.

Thereafter, the Deputy Speaker announced that the day's proceedings would be adjourned and postponed the sitting until 9.30 a.m. today (November 4), when the debate on the adjournment motion was scheduled to commence.