27 May 2021 10:42 am Views - 2151
While Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella dismissed claims that the Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa had contracted COVID 19 outside Parliament, Serjeant-at-Arms Narendra Fernando said no medical analysis was conducted to determine whether Mr. Peramdasa or others have got it from inside or outside the House premises.
Mr. Fernando said it is up to the medical experts to conduct an analysis to determine as to how Mr. Premadasa and others got infected with the virus.
There were cases in the Speaker’s office and the Secretary General’s office more than a month ago, and therefore there could not have been any connection to Mr. Premadasa getting infected from them,” he added.
“Chances of spreading COVID is slim within the parliamentary complex as staff members are working from home,” he said.
Mr. Kiriella in a statement said the notion that Mr. Premadasa and others have got the disease from outside is far from being true. “We have learned that there are COVID cases in the Speaker's office and the Secretary General’s office. This would not have happened if the parliamentary sessions were not held on the week that began from May 18. The government decided to convene the House to get the Port City Economic Commission Bill approved.
Mr. Premadasa met the Prime Minister and the Secretary-General of Parliament and wanted the sessions postponed, but this request was not honoured,” he said. (Yohan Perera)