Is the Speaker Next in Line for a No-Confidence Motion?

Parliament’s corridors are buzzing again. First it was the opposition’s no-confidence motion (NCM) against Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara, now it’s the Speaker himself who may be facing the heat.

Here’s the story. When the SJB moved an NCM against Jayasekara in August, Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne refused to accept it. His reasoning? A deputy minister isn’t a cabinet member, so technically you can’t bring an NCM against him. The Speaker claimed he had consulted the Attorney General and the Parliament Secretaries’ Panel before making that call.

But when the reports were finally tabled, the opposition cried foul. They argue the reports didn’t say an NCM was impossible; in fact, they suggested there were paths to move ahead—through a censure motion or by treating it as per existing practice. The Speaker’s refusal, they say, was arbitrary and political.

Now the gossip is heating up: the SJB is drafting an NCM against the Speaker himself. The charges? Not only the rejection of the Jayasekara motion, but also alleged misuse of his official residence, illegal occupation of another house, and even the controversial “gag order” that blocked an opposition MP’s speeches from being broadcast. Add to that his odd remarks about the Parliament kitchen being infested with cockroaches—a claim disputed by other MPs—and the picture isn’t flattering.

So, what happens next?

For the Speaker: If the NCM is tabled, it will be a serious embarrassment, even if he survives the vote. His impartiality is already under question, and politically, this weakens him. The government will have to rally around him to save face, but the damage to credibility is real.

For Aruna Jayasekara: The controversy lingers. His appointment as Acting Defence Minister only made things worse for the government. The Easter Sunday link continues to haunt him, and the opposition won’t let it go. Even if the Speaker blocks motions, the political cloud over him will remain. At the very least, he will be seen as a liability in cabinet reshuffles.

For the Government: It’s another test of the AKD administration’s “clean politics” promise. Blocking NCMs, defending tainted deputies, and shielding a controversial Speaker will fuel the narrative that nothing has changed in Sri Lanka’s political culture.

 The Speaker thought he had killed the Jayasekara NCM, but in the process, he may have written his own. Opposition MPs are sharpening their knives, and government benches are whispering about damage control. In this game, one man’s protection may end up being another man’s downfall.