Parliament to meet without media

By Saman Indrajith

The Parliament will convene from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm, on Thursday (12), to take up for debate the 2020 Appropriation Bill. This was decided at the Committee on Parliamentary Business meeting held yesterday (09).

Parliament sources said that the second and third readings of the Appropriation Bill would take place from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. From 5.00 pm to 8.00 pm the Adjournment Debate under a motion moved by the Opposition will take place. Session would not be open to media, according to sources.

Whilst Questions for Oral Answers will not be taken up on the said date, it was also decided that the Sittings will continue without a lunch break.

Meanwhile, the Appropriation Bill for 2021 will be presented to Parliament by Minister of Finance and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Nov 17.

It was discussed that post the presenting of the Appropriation Bill the Second Reading and Committee Stage debate should be limited to 11 days due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation. Disapproving the matter, the Opposition proposed that the complete number of days should be allotted for the Second Reading and Committee Stage.

Accordingly, a decision regarding the number of days wasn’t made conclusive and it was mutually agreed that the Committee on Parliamentary Business will meet again on Thursday (12) in order to further decide regarding the said matter.

The Committee on Parliamentary Business was chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella, Mahinda Amaraweera, Susil Premajayantha, Wimal Weerawansa, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Rauff Hakeem, Gayantha Karunatilleka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Mano Ganesan as well as the Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake and Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff Neil Iddawala were also in attendance, sources said.