Opposition Leader cannot exert undue pressure - Chief Govt. whip

Uditha KUMARASINGHE and Irangika RANGE

Chief Government whip Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament yesterday that Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has no right to exert undue pressure on a Government Minister in getting a reply to a question asked by a member.

In addition to the statement made by the UNP in parliament on Tuesday regarding a news item carried by the Defence Ministry website, the Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Micheal Perera made another statement in the House yesterday.

Then, the Opposition Leader who also commented on that statement said this is a question regarding the country’s lawyers and the Justice Minister had avoided answering the question.

Minister Gunawardena said, ‘we don’t want to ignore this question. Even the Prime Minister made a statement in parliament on Tuesday on this issue.

The Justice Minister has left the house to attend an official matter and the Minister does not want to desist from answering questions, he said.

Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara said it is wrong to say that the Minister refused to answer his question when the Minister was not in the chamber when the question was posed.Later Justice Minister Milinda Moragoda who came to the Chamber said he can answer the question after looking into the matter. ‘We have no intention to escape from answering questions”, the Minister said.