News
Parliament sittings extended for “Joint Opposition” Group to have its say
View(s):There will be extended hours of Parliament sittings starting from the coming week, to afford more time for “Joint Opposition” group MPs to participate in debates.
Parliament sittings on Thursdays and Fridays will commence at 10.30 am and continue till 7.30 pm, with an hour’s break for lunch between 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm.
The hours of sitting on Tuesdays and Wednesday will continue to be from 1.00 pm to 6.30 pm, as has been the arrangement since May 2010.
The extended hours of sitting have come about consequent to demands by the “Joint Opposition” group headed by MP Dinesh Gunawardena, who demanded that they be given more time to speak in the House.
The Speaker last week agreed to allow the Group several privileges including raising adjournment questions, representation at party leaders meetings, as well as more time for the Group’s MPs to speak.
They will also get more representation in the two Parliament oversight committees, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee On Public Enterprises (COPE).
As all MPs in the “Joint Opposition” group were elected to Parliament from the UPFA, at the last August general election, they had to share the time allocated to the UPFA with those of its members who are in Government, which led to complaints they were denied equal opportunity to express their views in the House. (CK)