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Opp. says Govt. has its way in Parliament
By Chandani Kirinde and Harinda Vidanage
The PA and the JVP have asked the government to fix an early date to debate their no-confidence motion against Defence Minister Tilak Marapana, especially in the face of the recent incidents in the east but the government has not responded.

The opposition parties are complaining that the government is ignoring their demands with the intention of delaying the no confidence motion against the Defence Minister and the debate of the confidence motion of the government.

Days have already been allotted in November for the Appropriation Bill. Finance Minister K.N.Choksy will present the Budget speech on 6th November. The debate on the second reading will start on the 7th and the vote will be taken on the 15th.

Thirteen days have been allotted for the committee stage of the budget with sittings scheduled for two Saturdays. The third reading of the budget will be on December 3rd.

Dr Sarath Amunugama told The Sunday Times that the Parliamentary Business Committee has already set aside dates for parliamentary business till the budget on November 6 but meanwhile no dates have been allocated for these motions.

He said that the government has now become a minority government.

The MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena said that according to the standing orders of parliament priority has to be given to no confidence motions.

Dr. Amunugama said that the government is in serious trouble with the boycott of parliament by certain members of the SLMC and with the deteriorating security in the East of the country the government is unable to go ahead with these motions.

The leader of the NUA Mrs Ferial Ashraff said that she was very disappointed with the government for not taking up these motions specially the no confidence motion brought against the Defence Minister after the Vallachenai and specially with the unstable conditions in the East.

Ms Ashraff told the Sunday Times that they will do what ever possible to get these motions into parliament.

Meanwhile the eighteenth and nineteenth amendments to the constitution have been placed on the order paper of Parliament but their fate is unclear until the Supreme Court ruling on the petitions challenging their legality are announced.

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