News
After latest COVID scare, Parliament begins sittings for new year on Tuesday
The Ninth Parliament’s first sitting for 2021 will begin on Tuesday (5) with the media once again being allowed to cover sittings, albeit under certain restrictions on movement and strict COVID-19 health guidelines.
Journalists had been barred from Parliament since November after several who covered the debate on the 20th Amendment tested positive. Consequently, the media was shut out for the entire duration of the 21-day debate on the 2021 Budget.
COVID-19 safety precautions in Parliament came into sharp focus again last week when several departments in the Parliament complex were closed down after a police driver and a Sub Inspector assigned to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s security detail tested positive for the virus. The infected officers had been assigned on temporary basis from the Colombo City Traffic Division after a backup vehicle in the Speaker’s security detail suffered a mechanical breakdown on December 22.
The officers who later tested positive had been to several areas in Parliament, including the Parliament post office, staff canteen and the Speaker’s office. They had also used one of the lifts with several other Parliament staff. The locations were identified after Parliament officials used CCTV to track the movements of the officers who tested positive, a senior Parliament official told the Sunday Times. Accordingly, these areas were closed off and
disinfected.
About 20 persons from Parliament who were identified as close contacts of the two officers were then subjected to PCR tests. All these tests have now come back negative. “We have already reopened the other areas, but we weren’t able to open the post office as the PCR test of the staff member on duty did not come back till later. That is also negative and as such, the post office will be reopened on Monday,” the official said.
Speaker Abeywardena’s office meanwhile, issued a statement on Thursday refuting reports that he too had been quarantined by health authorities after being identified as a close contact of one of the COVID positive officers. The Speaker was back in Parliament on Friday where he presided over the oath taking ceremony for Government officials for the New Year at the Parliament complex.
As per decisions taken by the Committee on Parliamentary Business, Parliament’s first sitting week for 2021 will be from January 5 to 8. Parliament will convene from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. from January 5 to 7, while the sitting on January 8 will be from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
Four Bills, including Amendments to the Shop and Office Employees Act will be taken up on January 5 while three Bills, including the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill are scheduled to be debated in Parliament on January 6.
Meanwhile, the second reading of the Intellectual Property (Amendment) Bill is scheduled for January 7 and 10 regulations including airport taxes will also be taken up for debate.
Time has been allotted for the Prime Ministers’ questions on January 6 from 10 a.m. to 10.30 a.m.
An Adjournment Debate on the prevailing situation of the country, moved by the Opposition, will be held from 11 a.m to 4.30 p.m on January 8.