Speaker overrules Opposition Leader

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa yesterday turning down an attempt by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to make a special statement in Parliament said he would make a ruling today if the Opposition Leader could be allowed to make the statement.

The Speaker turned down the Opposition Leader’s statement following the strong opposition raised by the government side against making the statement.

When the Opposition Leader rose to make the statement under Standing Order 23(2) Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister and Leader of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva stated that the government was against allowing Wickremesinghe to make the statement.

He said that the government received a copy of the statement which contains a matter before a Court of Law.

The contentment of the statement is therefore subjudice. The statement also state that an appeal has been filed in Courts in respect of the matters referred in his statement.

Therefore, this statement cannot be allowed. At this stage Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe stated only four sentences of the statement are challenged. He said he could remove those sentences and make this speech.

The Leader of the House at this stage said that both the beginning and end of the speech is inter-connected. So the entire content of the statement is subjudice.

He said that the statement should be brought on another day after amending.

Water Supply and Drainage Minister and Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena: By expressing his willingness to amend the statement the Leader of the Opposition has admitted the statement is in violation of the subjudice principle.

Dayasiri Jayasekera (UNP): This is an important issue. The statement should be allowed.

Leader of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva: You cannot omit certain parts and present a statement. We are not ready to answer statements against principles.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa: I would like to know the expert knowledge of Professor G L Peiris.

External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris: One sentence is connected to the other. Removal of four sentences does not answer the question in dispute. The statement has to be fully and clearly amended.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe: I am wearing the tie of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Union. We are all members of it. But they want us to resign from it.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa: After taking all these submissions into consideration, I will make my ruling tomorrow.

At this point, the Opposition Leader removed his tie and left the House showing it to the House.

SM, IR and DM