Govt objects debating Private Members’ Bill
Irangika RANGE and Sandasen MARASINGHE
UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake proposed the Private Members’ Bill that
stated the President and Prime Minister should be prevented from holding
ministerial portfolios.
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Ravi Karunanayake |
Before the motion was taken for debate, Chief Government Whip and
Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena raising a point of
order said the motion could not be debated. At this moment, the
Opposition led by its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe argued the motion
should be debated while Government members led by Minister Nimal
Siripala de Silva argued it could not be debated under the provisions of
the Constitution and standing order 78 of Parliament.
Minister Gunawardena raising a point of order stated that the motion
refers to the President’s conduct according to the standing order 78 of
Parliament, the President’s conduct cannot be debated in Parliament.
Under these grounds, he requested Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to reject
the motion.
JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the motion does not aim to
debate the President’s conduct but it proposes to prevent the President
and the Prime Minister from holding Cabinet portfolios.
At this stage, Leader of the House, Irrigation and Water Management
Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva objecting to the motion said the powers
vested on the President and Prime Minister are clearly noted in the
Constitution and they were performing their duties in line with those
provisions.
There is a special procedure to make amendments to the provisions of
the constitution, he said and he requested that the motion should be
rejected.
UPFA Member Vasudeva Nanayakkara said if this motion has proposed to
curtail the powers of the President and the Prime Minister holding
Ministerial offices, this motion cannot be tabled.
He objected to the motion and said it cannot be allowed to be moved
for debate.
At this stage UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said a member has a right to
move a suggestion of a Bill.
This is a suggestion, he said UPFA Member A.H.M. Azwer said the
suggestion was inconsistent with the Constitution.
The suggestion in its Tamil translation has that the President and
Prime Minister should not hold Ministerial portfolios. |
