Week in parliament

Agreeing to disagree

Parliament was held for just one day last week due to a variety of factors although it was slated to be held for four days as usual. This proved to be controversial, with the Opposition protesting the move.

The UNP walked out of the Chamber on Tuesday in protest against the decision to restrict sittings to one day and pass three supplementary estimates and a bill within a day.

They said the Government do not have the right to pass these three supplementary estimates and the bill within a single day.

When the Leader of the House Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva moved the supplementary estimates and the bill, Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera objected and said such a motion was not included in the order paper. He said the UNP had wanted the Government to have sittings on November 19 and 20 excluding November 18 which was the 4th Anniversary of the President's assumption of office.

This point raised by the Chief Opposition Whip led to various arguments between the Government and the Opposition members. The UNP MPs tried their level best to prevent the Government from moving the supplementary estimates.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said the Parliament should meet eight days per month. Therefore, the items which should be debated in two or three days cannot be included into the Order Paper to debated within a single day, he claimed.

UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said the Government has no right to pass everything in Parliament although they have the majority. "If they attempt to do so, there is no use of the Order Paper. All the MPs act according to the Order Paper. Therefore, we cannot debate an issue which is not included in this agenda."

Labour Minister Mervin Silva countered this argument. " The Government functions are included in the Order Paper. The Government does not work according to the agenda of the Opposition."

JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake suggested the Government could have sittings next week so that the Opposition would have time to express their views on the matters to be debated.

Leader of the House Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the Government had agreed to hold sittings on November 17 and 20 with extended hours of sittings to accommodate the UNP and JVP demands but they had not agreed to it. Only the TNA agreed to this decision and hence we decided to meet only today (November 17) and adjourn the House till December 8.

Speaker W.J.M.Lokubandara explained that this matter was discussed at the Party Leaders meeting and nobody opposed it at that time. Finally the Speaker decided to obtain the approval of the House to debate the three supplementary estimates and the bill.

All Government members approved this with an overwhelming majority. But the UNP members walked out of the chamber protesting against it while the JVP members remained in the House and took part in the debate.

Amidst the walkout by the UNP, Finance and State Revenue Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya commencing the debate said the Opposition was suffering from a severe shortage of slogans. The UNP has forgotten what they did in the past.

The planetary change that took place on Tuesday as predicted by astrologers also came to light in Parliament. JVP MP Sunil Handunneththi in his speech cited the planetary change for the Government's decision of not holding Parliamentary proceedings on November 18 and 19.

"A planetary change will occur today at 2.00 p.m. Astrologers have pointed out this planetary change would impact on the Sri Lanka's horoscope. According to astrologers, this planetary change would have a negative impact on foolish persons. The Government didn't want to convene Parliament on November 18 and 19."

Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Dr.Sarath Amunugama quipped "I don't think the JVP members firmly believe in astrology. MP Handunneththi said we don't believe astrology. But the Government members may not like to be in Parliament when this planetary change is taking place."

When the UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake commenced his speech, Labour Minister Mervin Silva obstructed him and said: "An advertisement had been published in a newspaper seeking a common candidate."

When the Speaker focused his attention in another direction, Minister Mervin Silva attempted to call the Speaker by clapping hands. UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera who saw this pointed out that the Minister was clapping. Minister Mervin Silva stood up said "I can whistle as well."

The issue of the IDPs in the Welfare Centres in Vavuniya was also raised as an oral question by JVP MP Ranaweera Pathirana with Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishad Bathiudeen.

The Minister told the House the Government has already resettled over 50 per cent of the IDPs. The intention of the Government is to resettle all IDPs in their original homes by January next year.

He said the Government spends Rs.9 million on a daily basis to supply food and beverages to the IDPs temporarily sheltered in the Welfare Centres in Vavuniya.

When Chief Government Whip Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardene asked for more time to provide an answer to an oral question raised by UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera on places of archaeological value which have been vandalised, a heated exchange ensued.

The Minister said "when the archaeological sites were vandalised by the LTTE, the former UNP Government signed an MoU with them.

The UNP which vested the North and East with LTTE terrorists and vandalised the archaeological sites today speaks about their value with a lot of sympathy."

Minister Dinesh Gunawardene on behalf of the Transport Minister presented a supplementary estimate of Rs. 4,750 million to purchase power sets, engines and to upgrade the coastal railway line.