PARLIAMENT

House adjourned following procedural mix-up

Sandasen Marasinghe and Irangika Range

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa adjourned Parliament around 3.10pm yesterday saying that a motion on the Central Bank report has been brought up by the government side without following proper procedures.

The Speaker said the motion for the debate had been brought up contrary to the agreements reached at the party leaders meeting.

The private member motion to be moved by UPFA MP JRP Sooriyapperuma was prevented by the Opposition saying that it was not included in the Order Paper. The motion on the Central Bank Report had earlier been planned to be brought by the Leader of the House for debate.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe:

We cannot debate the Central Bank report today. At the party leaders meeting, it was said that the Leader of the House would bring in the motion pertaining to the Central Bank. The Deputy Finance Minister must commence the debate. According to the Order Paper, there is no mention of an adjournment debate.

Leader of the House, Irrigation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva:

After the party leaders meeting, we have decided to give an opportunity to a government member to bring in the motion in line with the tradition. The Deputy Finance Minister too is present in the House. We can give more time to the Opposition to conduct the debate.

Chief Government Whip, Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena:

Three weeks have lapsed since the tabling of the Central Bank Report in accordance with the tradition. We cannot table it again. That is why the matter is taken up in the form of a private member motion as we promised to the Opposition.

Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekera:

The matter of tradition should have been raised at the party leaders meeting. The government waited until today to bring it up.

UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera:

There is no mention in today’s Order Paper of an adjournment debate.

Speaker:

We have to study the Standing Orders with regard to situations like this. I adjourn the House for ten minutes.

Accordingly, the House was adjourned at 2.45 pm and met again at 3.00 pm.

Speaker:

This motion has been brought up in contrary to the decisions made at the Party Leaders meeting. This should have been brought up by the Leader of the House. The method followed in bringing the motion was wrong. Therefore, the motion cannot be debated today. The Opposition can take up this again.

UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera:

The Opposition prepared this motion and handed it over to the Secretary General of Parliament. MP Ravi Karunanayake presented it. The Secretary General did not accept it saying he had received a similar motion from the government. We request that the motion prepared by MP Karunanayake could be taken up for debate today.

Speaker:

That cannot be permitted.

Leader of the House, Irrigation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva:

There was no hidden agenda behind the motion not following the proper procedure. We accept the ruling given by the Chair. If there was a mistake in our part, we admit it.

Kurunegala District UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera:

We could debate the Motor Traffic Act which is in the Order Paper.

Chief Government Whip, Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena:

If we are to take up the Orders made under the Motor Traffic Act today, then we have to hold another party leaders meeting.

Speaker:

Both sides must act prudently.

The Orders made under the Motor Traffic Act were passed without debate.

The House was adjourned till 1 pm today.