Opposition Demands Debate on No-Confidence Motion Against Deputy Defence Minister

23-Aug-2025

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Opposition MP Ajith P. Perera insisted that the no-confidence motion filed against the Deputy Minister of Defence must be debated in Parliament rather than dismissed outright.

Addressing Parliament on August 21 during the debate on customs duties under the Customs Ordinance, Perera said:

“The right to bring a no-confidence motion cannot be denied. This is a core mechanism of accountability. Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and State Ministers are constitutionally responsible to Parliament, and they must face such motions.”

Perera recalled that no-confidence motions had previously been brought against prime ministers, speakers, and even opposition leaders such as A. Amirthalingam in 1981. Therefore, he argued, Deputy Ministers should not be exempt from parliamentary scrutiny.

Reports in sections of the media suggested that the Speaker might reject the motion without debate, citing standing orders. Perera countered this, stating that nowhere in parliamentary procedure is there a prohibition against no-confidence motions targeting deputy ministers.

The MP further alleged that the Deputy Defence Minister in question faced serious accusations of delaying investigations and concealing evidence related to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. “If such an individual holds a senior defence portfolio, Parliament has every right to question him through a no-confidence motion,” he emphasized.

Rejecting the motion without discussion, Perera warned, would amount to “a grave affront to parliamentary democracy” and would erode the principle of ministerial accountability.