Parliament suspended to hold special Party Leaders' Meeting

Parliament was temporarily suspended a short while ago to hold a special Party Leaders' Meeting. 

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya suspended Parliament to hold the meeting after Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena requested that a Party Leaders' Meeting be called as the Government had information that the Opposition was not going to honour agreements it had reached with the Government before. 

Parliament is expected to hold a debate this morning on the Government's proposed amendment to the Vote on Account seeking Parliamentary approval to increase the debt ceiling from Rs 721 billion to Rs 1078 billion with additional budgetary provisions for Rs 367 billion. The Government says it is seeking these funds to settle bills of completed projects implemented by various Ministries under the previous Government. 

There is speculation that the Opposition is now planning to ask for a vote on the Government's proposed amendment seeking additional funds.