Ruling Party MP Ajith Rajapaksa was elected as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament with a majority vote today. The event itself is a lesson for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to learn according to political analysts.
Wickremesinghe had been of the opinion that it would be best to elect a woman MP for the post of Deputy Speaker this time, leading to the nomination of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Rohini Kaviratne. Her nomination was made public days before the Parliament sitting and despite the same move being expected from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) the Ruling Party, talks surfaced in the political arena that Kaviratne should be appointed in the position without calling in a vote.
However, the SLPP, ignoring Wickremesinghe’s request to elect a woman MP, had nominated a man, surprisingly representing the Hambantota District and carrying the infamous Rajapaksa name. Ajith Rajapaksa was given the job at a majority vote, once again depicting the misogynist culture in the Sri Lankan Parliament.
Simply put, the SLPP has clearly given a message to Wickremesinghe, reminding him that they, the Pohottu Clan, can wash away their sins at any given time and even oust Wickremesinghe, if they want to!
It is a widely perceived notion that the puppeteer who is pulling the strings in Parliament to switch MPs from one party to another is none other than Basil Rajapaksa, the brain of the SLPP.
Accordingly, none can ignore the fact that this has also happened under Basil’s watch.
