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MPs' motions lapse
By Chandani Kirinde
Forty private members motions that were on the Order Paper of Parliament lapsed on Friday as the relevant MPs were not present in Parliament to move the motions.

The House initially debated an adjourned private member motion by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake, which sought to prevent politicians holding positions in sports bodies and after it ended Deputy Chairman of Committees M. Satchithanandan called the names of the MPs under whose names the other motions were listed to move them, but none of them were present.

There were 14 others motions in the order book under Mr. Karunanayake's name while MP Gamini Ratnayake had 16 private members motions to his name, Wijedasa Rajapakse with four motions, Gamini Jayawickrema Perera had two and Dayasiri Jayasekera and L.G. Wasantha Piyatissa one motion each listed under their names.

The MPs will now have to give fresh notice of their private members motion to the Secretary General of Parliament to be included in the order book. Private members motions are moved and debated on the first Friday sitting of each month and there is a long waiting list to get a motion taken up for debate as many MPs had given notice of such motions, which can be on any subject.

Some of the motions that lapsed included one for the playing of the national anthem before the commencement and immediately after the conclusion of Parliamentary sessions, issuing free season tickets to students and the appointment of a national irrigation committee.

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