Parliament sittings limited to one day next week

Party leaders, who met on Thursday, at the Parliament Complex, decided to limit next week’s sittings of Parliament to one day due to the COVID -19 pandemic, the Pparliament Communication Division said.

Accordingly, Parliament will convene on Nov 03 from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon only and on that day, two regulations to the Medical Ordinance submitted by the Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi will be taken up for debate. Also, no time will be allotted for the Questions for Oral Answers.

The meeting, chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, decided to meet on Nov 12 and pass the Appropriation Bill presented by the Minister of Finance for the service expenditure for the financial year 2020 following the second and third reading.

It has been decided not to allow anyone other than Members of Parliament, invited officers, Security Personnel and the Parliament staff to enter the Parliament complex on the sitting days. The media will also not be allowed to enter the Parliament premises to cover parliamentary sittings. Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena, Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella, Prof. G.L Peiris, Dullas Alahapperuma, Mahinda Amaraweera, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Prasanna Ranatunga, Ali Sabri and MPs Mahinda Samarasinghe, Rauff Hakeem, Dilan Perera, as well as the Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake and the Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff Neil Iddawela were present at the meeting on Thursday.