Debate on Port City Bill will be held when SC conveys its decision – Govt.

By Saman Indrajith

Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando told Parliament yesterday that the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill would be taken up for debate when the Supreme Court conveyed its decision thereon to the House.

“The Supreme Court decision has not yet been conveyed to the Speaker. Therefore, the party leaders’ meeting decided to put off the debate and to debate the prevailing situation and the pandemic instead on Wednesday. It was also decided to debate the Port City Bill on the first available day after the Supreme Court informs the Speaker of its ruling. The Supreme Court is bound to give its decision within 21 days,” Minister Fernando said.

Fernando said that there was no point in taking the matter up for debate without knowing the Supreme Court ruling.

Whenever a Bill was challenged in the Supreme Court its parliamentary process was delayed until the ruling of the court was conveyed to the House. “This is the tradition. The Opposition Leader and his MPs should know that. The Bill will be passed only after the debate. Today, you are asking us to conduct the debate without the Supreme Court ruling. It is sub judice until the court’s decision is conveyed to the House. In addition, what do you intend to say in the debate without knowing the Court’s ruling?”

Minister Fernando said: “There are many MPs and ministers in the government rank to speak on the Bill and to permit time to them we have decided to postpone questions time. We have also decided to hold the session from morning to 8.00 pm. Therefore, do not make wild allegations that we are running away from the debate. It is we who brought the Bill and we are ready to debate it. We are also awaiting to expose the lies of the Opposition in the debate. You have been lying about the Port City since 2015. You have been accusing us of a building a Chinese colony. The JVP said that not even the stones of the Sigiriya rock mountain would be sufficient for the Port City. That was in the same manner they raised allegations that the Southern Expressway was being built for the Rajapaksa family to bring curd to Colombo. Now, all those lies have been exposed. In the same way, we need this debate to prove you are wrong. We will hold the debate and will pass this Bill.”

The party leaders’ meeting chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday (04) decided not to hold the debate on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill today (05).

Instead, the adjournment debate on the country’s situation in the face of the Covid 19 would be held from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm without a lunch break, Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake said.

Dasanayake said that the decision against holding the debate had been taken as Parliament had not yet received the determination of the Supreme Court with regard to the petitions filed over the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill.

After receiving the determination of the Supreme Court, party leaders would have to take a decision on when the debate should be held, the Secretary General said.

The Committee on Parliamentary Business decided on April 30 to hold this week’s Parliamentary sittings on May 04 and 05 only, due to the prevailing situation.