President D.B. Wijetunga's funeral tomorrow

Kandy: The remains of former President D.B.Wijetunga will be brought to Parliament on Thursday morning prior to the funeral to enable all Parliamentarians to pay their last respects.

The remains of the late President are to be kept in Parliament premises from 9.00 a.m to 11 a.m on Thursday. The remains will be taken directly back to Getambe grounds in Kandy in a vehicle procession for the funeral. Party Leaders yesterday decided to suspend proceedings of the House tomorrow in honour of President Wijetunga, whose remains will be brought to Parliament from his ancestral residence at Pilimalathalawa for the Members to pay their last respects.

The House is due to meet as usual on Friday at 9.30am.

The Condolence motion on the former President will be taken up by the House on October 8.

The Government has also decided to declare a holiday for all schools and pirivenas in Kandy district on Thursday and steps have been taken to close down all the liquor shops and meat stalls in Udunuwara, Yatinuwara and Gangawata Divisional Secretariat Divisions.

In addition the whole of Kandy will be decked in white on the day of the funeral as a respect for the former President who hails from the area. The funeral arrangements are jointly organised by the Central Government, Provincial Council and Kandy District Secretariat. Presently the remains of former President D.B.Wijetunga lie in state at his residence in Pilimathalawa for the public to pay last respects. The remains will be taken to the Parliaments complex on September 25 at 5.00 a.m.