Adjournment debate on CBSL Annual Report postponed

The Adjournment Debate on the Annual Report of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) for the year 2020 will not take place today as earlier scheduled, Parliament's Department of Communications stated.

The decision to postpone the debate was taken during a special Parliamentary Business Committee meeting held yesterday under the chairmanship of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, 

It was also decided to hold the debate on another day of the first week of August, said the Secretary General Dhammika Dasanayake.

However, as scheduled, Parliament will convene today and time has been set aside for questions for oral answers.

The special meeting of the Business Committee was convened after a heated exchange took place among the Government and Opposition yesterday on who would move the adjournment debate scheduled for today.

National People's Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake noted that it was he who had requested to move the adjournment debate during an earlier Business Committee meeting. However, Parliament's agenda has listed that Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Prof. Ranjith Bandara would move the debate on behalf of the Government. 

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa supported Mr Dissanayake's position, noting that he remembers well that the Business Committee had decided that Mr Dissanayake would move the debate. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran, who said he was also at the meeting, also said it had been decided that Mr Dissanayake would move the debate. 

Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena however, claimed it had been decided that it would be the Government would move the debate. 

The special Business Committee meeting was convened thereafter.