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A point of order

by Our Parliament Correspondents

Speaker Joseph Michael Perera yesterday said he would give a ruling on a point of order raised by Kandy district UNP MP Mrs. Chithra Srimathi Manthilaka who asked if the Speaker was aware that the President had visited the Parliament building during the day with a host of security men in tow.

The ruling will be given today.

The Speaker declared that he was unaware of the visit when Chief Government Whip Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe rising to a point of order stated that while he was not against the President being escorted by security men while in Parliament this raised other security implications as the Prime Minister too is present in Parliament.

The Speaker as custodian of the House should have been informed of the President's presence.

At this stage, Parliamentary Affairs Minister A.H.M.Azwer rose to remind the Speaker of an instance where the PSD blocked MPs from entering Parliament on an early occasion when the President was attending Parliamentary sittings.

He said this issue should be sorted out once and for all. 

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