Speaker appoints committee to probe vote

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday announced that he would appoint a four-member committee to scrutinise video footage of Thursday’s parliament sessions to decide whether the supplementary estimate submitted by government seeking the approval of the House had been duly passed and to inform the House of the results.

The Speaker made the announcement of appointing the committee when the Opposition MPs raising points of order demanded to know whether the estimate had been passed or not. They pointed out that the voting method and the subsequent results were wrong and distorted the outcome of the vote.

Speaker Jayasuriya said he had appointed Opposition Leader R Sampanthan, former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, Justice and Buddhasasana Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe and Water Supply and Urban Planning

Minister Rauff Hakim to investigate the Thursday’s incident.

Chief Opposition Whip JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake raising a point of Order at the commencement of parliament sittings said: "There were two estimates of which one sought to cover the expenses of purchasing luxury vehicles for the Prime Minister. Such extravagant expenses are incurred while people in the country are burdened with taxes. That was why we demanded a division on the matter. When a division is called on a bill or a motion the next most important thing is the result of the vote and whether the motion or bill is passed or not. However, the estimate that was brought before the House on Thursday was not passed by this House duly. It was pronounced passed after conducting a vote that was not in accordance with the guidelines and Standing Orders. It was wrong and the trust of parliamentary democracy is now being challenged. The results were wrong and the way the votes were counted too was wrong. The Presiding member at the time adjourned the House wrongly. Therefore, we call on the Chair to hold an investigation into this.

Leader of the House and University Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella: When the Chair gives a ruling on a vote that is the final decision. Standing Orders 42, 43 and 44 have outlined the process of vote taking in Parliament. Thursday’s vote was taken in accordance with that. Now you talk of parliamentary traditions. Does surrounding the General Secretary’s office after the Chair has adjourned the House come under parliamentary traditions? Once a vote is taken and the result is announced there is no need for recount, for the Standing Orders have no provisions for that. You put pressure on the Secretary General and he was led by force for a recount. He stated some new results under duress. This is not a good trend. This will set a wrong precedence of opposition members surrounding the Secretary General’s office after every vote in the future. Anything can happen within the chamber. The Prime Minister needs to buy new vehicles. He is travelling in old vehicles because the former President has taken with him all the new vehicles.

Finance State Minister Lakshaman Yapa Abeywardena: MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake is wrong. There is no mentioning of purchases in the supplementary estimates. This estimate has only Rs 55 million.

MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena:  You can bring any Bill to parliament but it becomes law only if it is passed. If a financial regulation or bill is defeated, the finance minister should resign or you can refer the bill again to the Cabinet of Ministers and then it can be taken up in Parliament again. The vote on the estimate has been rigged. We informed the Chair that the process was doubtful. However, the presiding member overlooked our requests. If the vote was wrong we can go for a recount. The Standing Orders have provisions for that. If you do not know Standing Orders, read them again. The Chair should have corrected that mistake then and there. The results were wrong. Now  the Speaker can announce that the estimate was defeated.

UNP MP Ashu Marasinghe: Opposition MPs forced the Secretary General to go for a recount. I saw similar occasion when former President Mahinda Rajapaksa put pressure on elections commissioner to get his results. According to the Standing Orders, if an MP wants to change the vote, he should do it before the results are announced.

Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera: According to the Section 42 of Standing Orders, if an MP casts his vote wrongly, the matter should be raised before the results announced. You cannot raise the matter once the results are announced.

Chief Opposition Whip Dissanayake: The copy of estimate with me has references to allocations made to the Prime Minister’s office. We made a request before the results were announced that the vote was rigged. In any case, the Standing Orders have been prepared without expecting that the MPs would rig a vote in Parliament.

NFF Leader Wimal Weerawans: Parliament should follow proper procedure when passing a financial bill. Otherwise how can you call this parliamentary democracy.

Speaker Jayasuriya: We can take a decision at party leaders’ meeting. I will appoint a committee of four members to examine the video recordings and to give a decision whether the vote was taken duly.  I appoint Opposition Leader R Sampanthan, former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, Justice and Buddhasasana Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe and Water Supply and Urban Planning Minister Rauff Hakim to investigate the Thursday’s incident.

Chief Opposition Whip Dissanayake: That is wrong. They voted with the government on Thursday. They voted for the estimate. Only MP Chamal Rajapaksa was not there.

Speaker Jaysuriya: Opposition Leader has been appointed to represent the Opposition. MP Chamal Rajapaksa was not in the chamber when the vote was taken on Thursday. We can further discuss this at the party leaders’ meeting.

Sonia, Manmohan released after courting arrest during protest march

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh were briefly arrested at the Parliament Street police station during their ‘Save Democracy’ march. They were later released.

The party is agitating against what it calls the ‘anti-democratic’ policies of the BJP.

In recent months, the Congress has alleged that there has been sustained efforts by the BJP to destabilise Congress-led governments in states like Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. While Arunachal saw a change in leadership, the latter hill state is under President’s Rule at the moment. The BJP, on its part, has pointed to the intense factionalism within the Congress for what has transpired in the two states. The two parties have also sparred in the current session of Parliament over the AgustaWestland issue. (indianexpress)

Tense situationin Parliament Over vote on Supplementary Estimate

A tense situation prevailed during the last few minutes in Parliament yesterday when Joint Opposition and JVP members claimed the results of vote on the Supplementary Estimate of Rs. 55 million were incorrect.

Declaring the results, presiding member Lucky Jayawardena said 33 voted for while 31 voted against. However, after scrutinsing CCTV camera footage, it was decided that the result was incorrect. According to the investigation, 31 had voted for and 31 had voted against. Due to this situation, the vote would have to be taken up some other day.

The debate on the Supplementary Estimate commenced at 10.00 a.m. and lasted until 6.00 p.m.

At 5.45 p.m. JVP Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake asked for a division and the quorum bell was rung for five minutes. Once the vote was about to be completed some members were heard saying a few other members had come to the House and needed them to be counted. They were also added and the decision was declared. However, when the decision was declared, Joint Opposition and JVP member shouted in protest of the results alleging it was incorrect. Some were seen walking into the Well of the House.

Meanwhile, presiding member Lucky Jayawardena adjourned Parliament until 9.30 a.m. today and ordered the Mace be taken away. It was taken away by Sergeant-at-Arms Anil Parakrama Samarasekara. Around 30 Joint Opposition and government members walked into the Well. Some members returned to their seats. Government and Opposition members were seen speaking to each other in the Well. However, a considerable number of government and opposition members who were not present at the time of vote were seen rushing in from time to time. However, government members left the Floor soon and Joint Opposition members remained in the House until around 6.50 p.m.

However, Joint Opposition and JVP members reached a decision to watch the CCTV video footage of in the House. They met Secretary General Dhammika Dassanayake and watched the footage until 8.85 p.m. JVP Parliamentarian Bimal Ratnayake in the mid of investigation around 7.45 p.m. said it seemed that the result was incorrect. “The matter as to how to deal with this situation politically and legally would be discussed today in Parliament,” Ratnayake said.

MEP member Sisira Jayakody told the media around 8.00 p.m. while the investigation was in progress that according to the existing details the results of the vote should be 29 for the motion and 31 against.

He added that Mujubur Rahuman had mistakenly counted twice. The CCTV footage of four angles were scrutinised by the members and the Secretary General. Three footage were watched in the Secretary General’s office and it was decided to watch the last footage in Committee Room 01. They all moved into the room at around 8.35 p.m. Around 8.55 p.m. the investigation was over.

“It was decided that the results was incorrect. According to the investigation results, 31 had voted for and 31 had voted against. Due to this situation again the vote would have to be taken up some other day,” Opposition Member Dinesh Ginawardena said. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that they would raise this matter in Parliament today.

Meanwhile, UNP Parliamentarian Ashuboda Marasinghe said the Joint Opposition members move to force the Secretary General of Parliament to scrutinise the CCTV footage of the final vote on the Supplementary Sum was totally illegal.

He made this observation to media in the Parliamentary Complex after Joint Opposition and JVP members made statements that the result of the vote was incorrect following Secretary General Dhammika Dassanayake, other officials and members watched video footages.

Marasinghe said if they did not agree with the results there was an accepted procedure to raise a question. He added that it was an illegal influence made by Joint Opposition members to force the Secretary General to study the videos.

He added that as government members they would raise this issue in Parliament today.

Full CCTV footage OF Sri Lankan Parliament Clash

The full CCTV footage and the report over the clash in Parliament on Tuesday would be released to the media and the people according to a decision taken at a Committee meeting Chaired by the Speaker, Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said. 

The report was prepared by the Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala, who headed the committee. Selvam Adaikalanathan was the other member in the Committee. 

The report was handed over to the Speaker yesterday and the MPs has been suspended over the clash.

 “The majority of the Parliament members said all actions taken in Parliament should be transparent if the Parliamentarians were willing to protect the dignity of Parliament,” he said. “There is no authority to hide anything as Parliamentarians. The public already had seen the incident through many news bulletins and the internet,” he said. (Chaturanga Pradeep)

Chinese boy born with 31 fingers and toes

Meet Hong Hong. He's almost 4 months old, lives in China and has 31 fingers and toes.

That's not a typo. The boy was born in January with 15 fingers and 16 toes in Pingjiang County in Hunan province. He also has two palms on each hand and no thumbs.

Doctors diagnosed Hong Hong with polydactylism, a congenital condition that happens in humans, dogs and cats, giving them extra fingers and toes. Polydactyly is a pretty common condition, affecting about one in every 1,000 live births, according to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Often, the extra digits are removed surgically. Hong Hong's parents are trying to raise enough money so their son can undergo the life-changing operation.

The condition is usually passed down in families, which is the case for Hong Hong.

The boy's mother also has polydactylism, with six fingers and toes. While she was pregnant with Hong Hong, both parents were worried their child would inherit the condition.
Right now Hong Hong is too young to undergo surgery, the infant's father, Zou Chenglin, told CNN. In the meantime, his parents are seeking medical advice on how to treat their son.

Doctors have given the family differing advice, with some saying the surgery is much more complicated than originally thought because Hong Hong requires not only the removal of his extra fingers and toes but also needs reconstructed thumbs. Opposable thumbs are essential because they give people the ability to grasp objects.

The surgery could cost as much as 200,000 Chinese yuan (about $30,000), the boy's father said. The couple has turned to the Internet for help, and so far they've raised more than 40,000 yuan (more than $6,000) through online donations.

But they've decided to halt the crowdfunding efforts because of the mixed comments they've received about raising money online, the father said.
For now, the family plans to head back to the city of Shenzhen, where they live, so that the father can go back to work.

CNN

Palitha Thewarapperum and Prasana suspended one week

The Parliament has recommended parliamentarians Palitha Thewarapperum (UNP) and Prasana Ranaweera (UPFA) who assaulted UNP Kegalle District MP Sandith Samarasinghe be suspended from Parliament for one week.

Yesterday, a report was presented to the Speaker of the House regarding the clash that took place in Parliament. The report recommended that severe disciplinary action be taken against parliamentarians Palitha Thewarapperum (UNP) and Prasana Ranaweera (UPFA).

Pandemonium broke out in Parliament when Joint Opposition and government members exchanged blows in the Well of the House around 1.30 p.m. causing injuries to several MPs and one of them being admitted to the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital.

Parliamentary sources revealed that UNP Kegalle District MP Sandith Samarasinghe was admitted to hospital while UPFA Gampaha district MP Prasanna Ranaweera too suffered injuries.

Geetha sacked as Co-Chairman of the Galle District Coordination Committee

Galle District UPFA and SLFP MP Geetha Kumarasinghe, the recently sacked Bentara-Elpitiya electoral organizer, has also been relieved of her position as Co-Chairman of the Galle District Coordination Committee.

The controversial MP has been replaced by UPFA / SLFP Galle District MP and Minister of Petroleum and Petroleum Gas, Chandima Weerakkody with the appointment being ratified by President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday. 

Weerakkody, who is also currently the Co-Chairman of the Imaduwa and Habaraduwa Coordination Committee, will also function as the Co-Chairman of the SLFP Regional Coordination Committees of Bope, Poddala, Akmeemana, Welivitiya and Diwithura respectively.


Meanwhile, MP Kumarasinghe has been relieved of her Co-Chairmanship of the Coordination Committees of Bentota, Elpitiya and Hikkaduwa. That position has been given to Chief Minister of the Southern Province Shan Wijeyalal de Silva on the orders of the President.

Bharatha Lakshman murder case ; Duminda Silva claims innocence

Making a dock statement in connection with the Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra murder case, UPFA former MP Duminda Silva informed Colombo High Court that he is innocent of all 17 charges made against him including committing the murder of four persons including former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.

Former MP Duminda Silva, the eleventh accused in the case requested the Trial-at-Bar bench that he be acquitted and released from all charges levelled against him.

The former MP further informed Court that he was elected to the Western Provincial Council in 2004 securing the highest number of preferential votes from the Colombo District under UNP ticket. He further said he was also elected as a Parliamentarian during the 2010 General Election securing the highest number of preferential votes from the Colombo District.

Meanwhile, Vincent Premalal Silva, the father of Duminda Silva also gave evidence before the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar, as a defence witness.

The special Trial-at-Bar comprised three High Court Judges - Shiran Gunaratne, Pathmini N. Ranawaka and C. B. S. Moreis.

The Trial-at-Bar hearing has concluded prosecution’s evidence in connection with the murder case and the defence evidence are currently being heard.

It has taken the prosecution 48 days to present the case against 13 accused including former UPFA Parliamentarian Duminda Silva.

The Attorney General had called 42 witnesses and presented in Courts 126 documents including the Government Analyst's reports and JMO reports.

The accused who were indicted before the Colombo High Court were; Anura Thushara De Mel, Chandana Jagath Kumara, Chaminda Ravi Jayanath, Lanka Rasanjana, Malaka Sameera, Vidanagamage Amila, Sarath Bandara, Suranga Premalal, Saman Kumara Abeysinghe, Janaka Bandara, Duminda Silva, Rohana Marasinghe and Nagoda Liyanarachchige Chaminda.

The accused had been charged over the killing of Premachandra, Dharshana Jayathilaka, Mohamed Azmy and Manimel Kumaraswamy and inflicting gunshot injuries on Premachandra’s bodyguard Rajapurage Gamini after being the members of an unlawful assembly on October 8, 2011 at Walpola, Mulleriyawa.