Party leaders decide to continue debate on PCoI report on Easter carnage on March 25 and 26

By Saman Indrajith

The party leaders at a meeting yesterday decided to continue with the debate on the Presidential Commission of Inquiry report on the Easter Sunday carnage, for two more days (25 and 26 March).

The two days of the next sitting week have been allocated for the debate, which commenced on March 10.

 The Party Leaders, who met with Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena presiding, yesterday morning decided to convene Parliament for four days in the next week from March 23 to 26, Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake said.

Parliament will convene on March 23 at 10.00 am and one hour will be allocated for questions from MPs and a resolution under Section 10 of the Customs Ordinance regarding import duties, two regulations imposed by the Minister of Finance under the Imports and Exports Act and an order under the Sri Lanka Export Development Act will be taken up for debate, which is scheduled to end at 4.30 pm.

Two regulations under the Motor Traffic Act are listed for the debate on the following day from 11.00 am to 4.30 pm.

The Party Leaders also agreed to allocate one hour for questions of MPs, on Thursday, and to allocate full sittings time on Friday for the debate without questions time.

Leader of the House and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that steps would be taken to set aside a day or two for answering questions raised by MPs. He said so in answer to a question from Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella regarding the adjournment of questions.

The Party Leaders discussed the possibility of having a debate on the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Political Victimisation and the report of the Presidential Commission of inquiry into the incidents of fraud and misappropriations which have allegedly taken place at public institutions from January 14, 2015 to December 31, 2018.

Chief Government Whip and Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando, Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Mahinda Amaraweera and Prasanna Ranatunga, Members of Parliament Gayantha Karunatilake, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, M. A. Sumanthiran and Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, who is not a Member of the Committee, were present at the meeting.