The foregone conclusion

The result of the no confidence motion on Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene was a foregone conclusion. There was no breaking of ranks either on the government or the opposition side of the House nor abstentions and the only matter of interest was who opted to stay away at voting time and why. NPP/JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake whose contribution to the debate was a two-fisted attack, including pointed reference to the number of Yapa Abeywardenes on the speaker’s personal staff and the fact that his (the speaker’s) son was Chairman of the National Lotteries Board under the purview of the finance ministry (the president is the finance minister) was damning enough that it was not necessary that he cast his vote. AKD had to board a flight to Canada and did not vote.

The speaker who confined much of his post debate statement to the substance of the motion itself maintained a diplomatic silence on the number of his family members in the parliamentary staff. He did say that the three day debate would have cost the taxpayer a tidy Rs. 45 million but made no mention of the many million in pay and perks going into the pockets of his kith and kin. The present incumbent of the speaker’s chair is not the first to face such a motion. As he himself revealed, he was the fifth speaker to face such an ordeal, if ordeal it was, but was the first to be accused of violating the constitution.

Speaker Yapa Abeywardene, like former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his recently published book opted to name no names although he was free with his claim that he was under domestic and international pressure to assume the presidency when GR was going, going but not quite gone. Sri Lanka’s precedence table ranks the speaker behind the president and prime minister. The speaker says GR consulted him about the handover of power but did not says whether this was before or after RW was made prime minister – a vitally relevant factor. Wimal Weerawansa in his book alleged that U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung visited the speaker’s residence to persuade him to take over. The speaker maintained a studious silence on the subject although Chung tweeted “I am disappointed that an MP has made baseless allegations and spread outright lies in a book that should be labeled ‘fiction’. But the speaker’s post-budget statement on Thursday about international pressure may lend a degree of credence to Weerawansa’s allegation.

There is no doubt that speakers are generally elected by governments as Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene was. It is also true that speakers let the opposition have their say and the government have its way to preserve even a veneer of impartiality. It is good parliamentary practice that they shed their political allegiances no sooner they attain office. How often that happens is anybody’s guess but it is known that former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya never stepped into Sirikotha after his elevation.

Governor’s conundrum

We run a front page report in our newspaper today that Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe had accepted the report of the Committee of Public Finance (COPF) that the recent across the board (governor excluded) Central Bank salary increases should be withheld until some agreement is reached between the bank and COPF. But the problem is that the March salaries are already in the bank’s payroll system and payment is due on Monday. He has said that adjustment will take a little time. Also, going back to previous pay scales would mean that some officials will get a “negative pay” and that must be cleared with them before imposing the burden.

The report quotes the governor asking COPF to give the bank some guidance on how to set about doing this. Dr. Harsha de Silva, the opposition SJB MP who chairs COPF is on recent record saying that what was at issue was not the increase but the size of the increase and the timing. De Silva has said he will put the bank’s request to the committee on whether to allow the March increase and thereafter hold off until “we arrive at an acceptable resolution.” He agrees that the two sides should work together to find an acceptable solution. Happily the exchanges between the Central Bank and COPF have been cordial.

This is perhaps attributable to both the governor and Dr. Harsha de Silva adopting non-confrontational stances towards each other.

In an interview published on Thursday by our stablemate, The Island, Governor Weerasinghe went on record that he got no raise as a result of the recent arrangement. The increases only applied to deputy governor level and the governor’s salary was lower than that of many other staff including the lower grades. “I have no complaint at all about my salary as I hold this position only due to my desire to help the economy to recover from its worst crisis using my experience and knowledge as a career central banker,” he has said. He added that he will make no pension claim for his tenure as governor. Weerasinghe retired as a deputy governor and enjoyed pension benefits on that basis until he returned to the bank on invitation post-retirement.

For reasons that remain officially unexplained, the previous administration of the bank made former governors eligible for pension regardless of their tenure. However, the incumbent revealed that some of them have refused to claim their entitlements but did not say who they are. Prof. W.D. Lakshman who last headed the bank served for less than two years between December 2019 and September 2021. Mr. Nivard Cabraal had two spells as governor between July 2006 and Jan. 2015 and again between Sept. 2021 and April 2022. Former Hayleys Chairman Sunil Mendis served just less than two years between July 2004 and June 2006. Arjuna Mahendran also served less than two years between Jan. 2015 and June 2016.

It won’t be too hard to guess who among the short tenure governors have declined their pensions.