The UPFA MPs also pointed out that if any tense situation arose in Parliament today, Speaker Jayasuriya should take full responsibility. They observed that Speaker Jayasuriya is challenging the Constitution and the powers vested by the Constitution in the President.They also pointed out that they reject the No Confidence Motion passed in Parliament since proper procedure was not followed by the Speaker in the House. The UPFA MPs expressed their dissatisfaction of the Speaker for deciding not to attend the All Party Conference headed by President Maithripala Sirisena.
They also expressed their confidence that the final order by the Supreme Court with regards to the dissolution of Parliament will be a fair and accurate one.UPFA Parliamentarians Bandula Gunawardena, John Seneviratne, Shehan Semasinghe and Kanchana Wijesekara were present at the press brief which was held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Colombo yesterday morning.
Gunawardena addressing media said that from the time that he has been a Parliamentarian, no other Speaker has ever acted as Jayasuriya has done. Gunawardena also said that the Speaker’s conduct has turned Parliament in to “a Kangaroo-Parliament.”
Gunawardena further observed that the Speaker violated the Constitution, Standing Orders and the traditions. He destroyed the whole Parliamentary system. Nowhere in the world has a no confidence motion been passed under police protection.“I met a School Principal recently, who told me that the Speaker is like an elephant who has taken an expired drug and acting like in the mating season.”
John Seneviratne pointed out that the Speaker was acting like “a dictator” in Parliament and demanded that the status quo of the House be restored.Shehan Semasinghe who also addressed the media pointed out that there have been many discrepancies and conflicts of interest on the part of the Speaker continuously over the last three years. “The Speaker was never interested in the NCMs brought by us against Ravi Karunanayake or Rajitha Senaratne.Those days we thought the Speaker had a hearing impairment in his left ear. But now he is having the same
hearing impairment in his right ear. The person who has destabilised Parliament is Speaker Jayasuriya. No important legal enactments have been passed by a voice by vote ever before. We really hope that the Speakerwill act fairly by everyone in today’s Parliament session. We can show a majority if proper procedures are followed by the Speaker. We have not even seen the NCM. The Speaker should stand up for the country, not for other political agendas,” Semasinghe pointed out.

Semasinghe stating that Speaker Jayasuriya is acting according to the “Sirikotha-Constitution” demanded that Jayasuriya adhere to the standing orders and the traditions of Parliament. Playing two video footages taken within the Chamber by MP Susantha Punchinilame, Semasinghe pointed out that the Speaker did not heed the warnings of a possible harm to MPs’ lives seriously. “So we believe that a case should be filed against Speaker Karu Jayasuriya under the criminal law for aiding and abetting murder,” Semasinghe said. Kanchana Wijesekara also spoke.