Nearly twenty current and former opposition MPs facing various court cases have avoided speaking out against the government, Irida Lankadeepa reports. The paper notes that the opposition is facing a serious crisis, having lost a valuable opportunity to challenge the government both inside and outside Parliament.
Although opposition party leaders have assigned responsibilities to some MPs to speak on key issues in Parliament, sources said many have repeatedly declined, citing their pending cases. “I have a few cases. Therefore, I will remain silent for a while,” some MPs are reported to have told their colleagues.
Political commentators observe that this situation has significantly weakened the opposition’s voice. Most of the cases against these MPs are said to be corruption-related, and the group includes figures who were once known for raising their voices forcefully in Parliament and on political platforms.
