Opposition flares up over Govt. reducing its representation in House Business Committee

• Govt. emphasises increased opposition representation in COPA, COPE and COPF

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

The opposition was up in arms in Parliament yesterday over the government’s attempt to diminish its role in the parliamentary affairs by reducing its number in the Business Committee of the House which is the body that comprises representatives from the parties across the divide and discuss businesses of the House. 

An argument was witnessed in Parliament yesterday when the ruling party refused to include representatives of all the opposition parties in the committee, despite the repeated requests by the minor parties to include them by increasing slots.

The ruling party argued that it is not practical to accommodate all opposition parties and insisted that it is the duty of the opposition leader to mete out justice to all opposition parties by dividing the four slots allocated among 12 opposition parties.

Leader of the House Bimal Ratnayake said every opposition party cannot be represented in the business committee. “You don’t get 50 to 100 members in decision-making bodies in various organisations. Do you get 50 to 100 persons on boards of directors in a company?” he questioned.

Mr. Ratnayake then revealed that the opposition parties have been given increased opportunities in other important committees. “We have decided to give the opportunity for the opposition to head the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) and we will allow the opposition to head the Committee on Public Finance as per the standing orders. In addition, we have increased the number of opposition members in the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).

Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa said the ruling party needs to be flexible as its leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake was a person who fought for the maximum opposition representation in committees such as the business committee.

“Increasing the number of opposition representatives in the business committee does not create any financial constraints. Therefore, there is no issue in giving representation to minor parties in the opposition,” he said.
SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa who joined in the cross talk said the House will become noisy as usual if small opposition parties are left out. “Those parties which attend business committee meetings might come to various agreements, but those members from the parties which do not represent the committee might not get into such agreements. These members are likely to create noise in the House if they don’t agree with the decisions of the business committee. Parliament would become noisy each morning in such a scenario,” he said.

Opposition MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said minor opposition parties should represent the business committee so that they too would get inside on how the House functions. “We need representation as we function independently in the opposition. We don’t have a working relationship with the main opposition SJB,” he said.
Chief opposition Whip Gayantha Karunatilleka said ten slots in the business committee were allocated to opposition in the 9th Parliament in 2022 though there were only six parties, whereas only six slots have been allocated for 12 opposition parties in the 10th Parliament.