Parliament begins - UPFA boycotts again

Parliament sessions commenced under Speaker Karu Jayasuriya a short while ago. Parliament will today take up a motion presented by the Opposition to cut off funding to the Prime Minister's office. 

The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) meanwhile, has decided to boycott Parliament sittings for the third straight day. Earlier the UPFA also boycotted this morning's Party Leaders' Meeting.  

At the beginning of the session, the Speaker declared that the case currently pending in the Court of Appeal challenging the authority of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to hold the office of Prime Minister even after a No Confidence Motion was passed against him in Parliament, was not a bar for Parliament to debate the motion to cut off funding to the PM's office. 

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya also stated that a special committee comprising a Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Bimal Rathnayake and Mavai Senathirajah has been appointed to conduct an internal probe into the unruly incident that occurred in Parliament in the past few weeks. 

Presenting the motion in Parliament, United National Party (UNP) MP Ravi Karunanayake claimed that the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government had so far spent Rs.800 million for helicopter rides. 

Making a special statement in Parliament, MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe stated that those who have the majority in Parliament must be allowed to form a government. He urged the Speaker to hold discussions with the President in a bid to break the current political deadlock. 

At the conclusion of MP Rajapakshe's speech, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya stated he was always read to hold further dialogue with President Sirisena to resolve the current deadlock. 

However, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared that while the Speaker was welcome to hold talks with the President, the JVP had no such interest and did not believe the President, as the individual who precipitated the crisis in the first place, was serious about resolving anything. 

The JVP Leader also declared that when the motion to cut off funding to the PM's office is passed today, all operations which the UNP is carrying out at Temple Trees too should immediately cease as those were also being done using public funds. 

JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake stated that President Sirisena should apologize to the public for the damage he caused to the country by triggering the present crisis.  

Addressing Parliament MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera said all parties should get together to hold a General Election soon to seek a fresh mandate from the people. 

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