Adjournment due to lack of quorum

The Opposition once again showed its disarray in Parliament on Thursday leading to adjourn the Parliament sittings abruptly four hours ahead of schedule due to the absence of the Opposition members who had been listed to speak during the committee stage debate of the budget 2012.

Though 165 minutes had been allocated for the Opposition to express their views on the Budget, the Opposition ranks used only 60 minutes from their allocated time. Only two UNP Mps, Dayasiri Jayasekera and Sujeewa Senasighe, spoke during the committee stage debate on the Financial Head of the Petroleum Industries Ministry.

When the presiding member A.H.M. Azwer called the names of the rest of the Opposition MPs Ravi Karunanayake, Gayantha Karunathilaka and Ajith Perera who had been listed to speak, they were not present in the chamber. The Deputy Ministers M.K.D.S. Gunawardene and Basheer Segu Dawood also joined the debate on behalf of the Government.

The continuous absence of the opposition speakers, the presiding member moved to the Deputy Health Minister Lalith Dissanayake who was the next member to speak on behalf of the Government. However, the Deputy Minister maintained the stance that Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha should deliver his reply speech as there is no point of continuing the debate due to the absence of the Opposition.

Minister Premajayantha also wound up his speech within a few minutes pointing out the Opposition’s inability to build up any constructive argument during the debate. Once the entire list of the Opposition MPs was exhausted, the proceedings came to an end around 2.30 pm.

Following day of the sittings UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake attempted to make a statement in Parliament on the adjournment of Parliament before four hours of its scheduled time as the Opposition members were not present in the House to continue the committee stage debate on the Budget. Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa who responded to the MP came with the advice to first admit their mistakes and rectify them before they complain of others.

The absence of the Opposition members to speak during the budget debate was also highlighted on Wednesday as UNP MP P. Harison was not in the chamber to commence the debate on behalf of the Opposition.

This led Livestock Development Deputy Minister H.R. Mithrapala who had been listed next to commence the debate. The Deputy Minister in his speech queried, if the Opposition has no interest what is the purpose of conducting the budget debate. It is the responsibility of the Opposition to commence the debate and continue it. He expressed his regret that there was no Opposition in Parliament.

The Deputy Minister who looked at DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake told him in lighter vein to join hands with the “white revolution” launched by the Livestock Development Ministry without wasting his time at the Opposition. He also called upon UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera to join the Government and take even the Monitoring MP post of his ministry.

The UNP MP P.Harison who responded to the Deputy Minister informed him the people gave a mandate to the PA Government in 1994 due to the shortcomings of the UNP and there is no point of putting the blame on the Opposition as this Government has been in power over the past 17 years.

Foreign universities to be established in Sri Lanka turned into an important topic due to several remarks made by the DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake who queried whether the establishment of foreign universities would be a successful move to prevent Sri Lankan students going to foreign countries for higher studies.

The MP in his speech pointed out if there are private universities available in their countries how the students go abroad for higher studies.

He maintained the view that it is not fair to decide on the quality of our universities based on certain foreign criteria. He described the concept of foreign universities to be promoted in Sri Lanka as a myth and most of the universities have been commenced by the respective Governments in those countries without the intention of making profits.

Higher Education Minister S.B.Dissanayake in his reply speech explained the difficulties faced by the graduates who passed out from universities to find a job. He noted 40 percent of graduates passed out from universities have not been able to find a job. Education Minister Bandula Gunawardene who responded to the queries raised by the Opposition members during the debate on his Ministry urged them to instead of talking about a minor shortcoming in a school to express their candid views how to create a good school.

Minister Gunawardene requested all parliamentarians to solicit their contribution to implement the educational reforms which aims to produce a younger generation who respect their parents and love their motherland.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena referring to some statistical figures made by UNP MP Sajith Premadasa on the health sector denied most of the facts and figures presented by him.

The Minister told the House how the WHO and the international community have fully endorsed the initiatives taken by Sri Lanka to maintain a good health service. The Minister made a comparison on funds allocated to the health sector during the regime of the UNP and the UPFA Governments. Several remarks made by the UNP MP Palitha Thewarapperuma on Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe during the debate on the Plantation Industries Ministry led the Government members to continuously interrupt his speech.

UPFA MP A.H.M. Azwer who raised a point of order informed the House this is not a motion to talk about the Minister’s character. Otherwise the MP should bring a substantial motion for it.

Responding to a request made by UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella to pardon former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem informed him he would consider to appeal to the President to pardon Fonseka if a request is made by his family members. However, the Minister explained a certain procedure has to be followed giving a pardon.

He said in order to act in this regard the request should come from Fonseka’s immediate family members. Kiriella in his remarks, said Sarath Fonseka who led the war to defeat LTTE has become a political prisoner today. But several Government members including Deputy Health Minister Lalith Dissanayake referred to Kiriella statement during the military operations against terrorists, that any fool can wage a war. When Minister Hakeem was delivering his speech 100 rehabilitated ex-LTTE combatants visited the Parliament from the public gallery. The Minister in his speech welcomed the former LTTE cadres.