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New Parliament meets on December 18

by Rodney Martinesz

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga yesterday reviewed the date to convene the new Parliament and fixed it on December 18, following the requests made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, political party leaders and especially the Muslim community.

The House will be summoned on December 18 at 10 am, a Presidential Secretariat press release said last night.

The Gazette notification in this regard was to be released last night, it said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called upon the President to review the December 17th date set for the summoning of the new Parliament in view of the Ramazan Festival which falls on this date.

In a letter addressed to the President, the Premier had noted that Muslim MPs would not be able to attend the inaugural session due to this reason.

Meanwhile, UNP Assistant Leader Gamini Athukorale denied a statement reportedly made by the President in her meeting with the JVP that the UNP had agreed to the December 17, date.

Party spokesman Dr. Karunasena Kodithuwakku decried the statement made by the President that Parliament had to be summoned before the due date since PA supporters were at the receiving end of political violence.

He said that the UNP was not in the way to prevent the President from restoring law and order. "It is the UNP which bore the full brunt of the political violence unleashed by the PA culminating in the killings of 10 youth for which the President and her Deputy Defence Minister should take full responsibility," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Muslim Religious Affairs in the Premadasa Government A. H. M. Azwer yesterday threatened to stage a hartal in Parliament if the President goes ahead with her proclamation and summon parliament on the 17th which is the Ramazan holiday.

He described as ridiculous the decision to summon Parliament on a day which Parliament itself has declared as a holiday through legislation. "Now we are going to open Parliament against its own decree," he said.

He said according to reports the decision by the President to summon Parliament on the 17th was taken at the instance of the JVP during their meeting.

This only confirmed her of repeated view that the JVP as a hardcore marxist party had no regard for religious sentiment.

Azwer also repeated his protest at the General Election being conducted in the month of Ramazan gravely inconveniencing the Muslim community which was amply proved by the present curfews which prevented them from attending "Tharaveeh" prayers. This was one of the reasons the Muslims overwhelmingly voted to oust the PA from power.

Meanwhile, former Minister Alavi Mowlana told the Daily News that he too was perturbed at the decision to summon Parliament on the 17th which was the holiest day for Muslims.

He said he was already in touch with the Presidential Secretariat to obtain a review of the date from Her Excellency.

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