Two more days allocated for Parliamentary debate on report into Easter Sunday attacks

The Parliamentary adjournment debate on the report of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Easter Sunday attacks will continue for two more days next week. 

The debate commenced on March 10 and the Committee on Parliamentary Business which convened today decided to set aside March 25 and 26 as well for the adjournment debate, Parliament's Communication Department said, quoting Parliament's Secretary General Dhammika Dasanayake. 

Accordingly, Parliament will convene on March 23 at 10.00 am and time will be allotted for 10 oral questions of Members of Parliament until 11.00 am. 

Thereafter from 11.00 am to 4.30 pm a resolution under Section 10 of the Customs Ordinance regarding import duties, two regulations imposed by the Minister of Finance under the Imports and Exports Act and an order under the Sri Lanka Export Development Act will be taken up for debate.

The Motion at the Adjournment Time moved by the ruling party will be taken up for debate from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm on the same day, said Mr. Dasanayake.

Thereafter, on March 24 from 10.00 am to 11.00 am, time will be allotted for the oral questions of the Members of Parliament. The Secretary General said that two regulations under the Motor Traffic Act will be debated from 11.00 am to 4.30 pm on that day. Thereafter the Motion at the Adjournment Time will be taken up by the Opposition from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm.

March 25 and 26 are set aside for the adjournment debate on the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Easter Sunday attack.

Although time will be allotted for oral questions of MPs on March 25 from 10.00 am to 11.00 am the Committee on Parliamentary Business has decided to hold the Adjournment Debate on March 26 from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm without oral questions, Mr. Dasanayake said.

Meanwhile, Leader of the House and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that steps would be taken to set aside a day or two in the coming days to answer the oral questions of the MPs, while responding to a question raised by the Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella regarding the adjournment of oral questions.

The attention was also drawn on debating the report of the Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimization and the report of the Commission of inquiry into the incidents of fraud and misappropriations which have allegedly taken place at public institutions from January 14, 2015 to December 31,2018.

Chief Government Whip and Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando, Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Mahinda Amaraweera and Prasanna Ranatunga, Members of Parliament Gayantha Karunatilake, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, M. A. Sumanthiran and MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, who is not a Member of the Committee, were also present at the meeting.