11 March 2022 12:09 am Views - 176
By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana
As the opposition alleged that Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa had not made any statement in Parliament since December 10 last year on the status of Sri Lanka’s economy, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said he has no right to force any Minister to make a statement in the House while there are provisions for taking disciplinary action against an MP if fails to attend sessions for three months.
The Speaker came out with this remark when Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella alleged that it has been three months since Mr. Rajapaksa came to Parliament and made a statement on the economy.
“Sri Lanka has become insolvent, and the Finance Minister had failed to make any statement in the House for three months. Today is March 10, and it is three months since he made a statement. Therefore, we request that the Speaker gives an order to the Finance Minister to come and make a statement,” Mr. Kiriella said.
“Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said there is no truth in what the Chief Opposition Whip is saying as the State Minister had answered all questions raised by the opposition on behalf of the Finance Minister. “ Mr. Kiriella is repeating the same argument almost every day,” he said.
Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando said all statements which Mr. Rajapaksa makes even outside Parliament have been debated in the House. SJB MP Nalin Bandara said one cannot see why Mr. Rajapaksa cannot come to Parliament and answer questions when even the Ukrainian President addresses that country’s Parliament, even with the war situation.
Heated arguments followed, with government and Opposition MPs shouting at each other at that time.