Opposition urges govt to table PCoI reports on Easter carnage and political victimisation

By Saman Indrajith

The SJB yesterday (10) called on the government to table the reports of the Presidential Commissions of Inquiry on Easter Sunday carnage and on Political Victimisation within this sitting week.

 Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella said that his party had requested at the last party leaders’ meeting that the government table the reports of the two presidential commissions of inquiry and a parliamentary debate held thereon.

“We need them tabled either on Thursday or Friday so that we could debate them during the next sitting week. Another Presidential Commission has been appointed to determine punishments on the basis of recommendations of the commission of inquiry on political victimization. It has been given only three months. We need to debate it in Parliament by that and to know the content of those reports. It is unfair to delay the process by not tabling them. The Speaker and Minister of Justice have promised that reports would be given to parliament.”

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa

: When the Chief Opposition Whip made that request at the party leaders’ meeting the government promised to table the reports of the commissions of inquiry, and also allocate dates during the next sitting week for the debate. There is a special presidential commission that has been appointed to implement the recommendations of the commissions of inquiry. We need to debate the reports before that implementation process starts. We call on the Speaker to order the government to table those reports in parliament on Thursday so that we could debate them in the third week of this month.

 Leader of the House and Foreign Affairs Minister Dinesh Gunawardena:

We have made a promise to allocate time for a debate once the reports are tabled in parliament. Therefore, we are ready to allocate dates for the debate whenever the reports are given.

 SJB MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara:

It is said that the reports have made recommendations pertaining to the leaders of the Opposition parties. The Prime Minister too has stated that these reports would be tabled in Parliament. We urge the government to submit the reports as soon as possible.

MP Dilan Perera:

The Speaker has said that he would present the reports to the House as soon as he receives them. That is what the government’s wish too. We too need that debate.