LNP – ‘Not appropriate’ to call Opposition Leader for CoPF sessions – Speaker

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena informed the parliament today (05) that it is not appropriate to summon the Opposition Leader to the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF).

The Speaker informed that the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Opposition Whip requested a decision from him in the Parliament Chamber on Saturday (July 01) and the Committee on Parliamentary Business held on Friday (June 30), regarding not giving the Leader of the Opposition an opportunity to comment in the Public Finance Committee meeting held on June 29, in which the Leader of the Opposition participated.

The speaker said that he had done a study on the standing orders and parliamentary traditions in this regard and accordingly, the positions of Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition have been given special privileges in the parliamentary system.

“Also, since the Honorable Members who hold these positions have a wide scope to get information about the affairs of the Committees, and as a member of the opposition party has been appointed for the position of Chairman of the Public Finance Committee in accordance with Standing Order 121(1), the Speaker emphasized to the House that it is not appropriate to call the persons holding the above-mentioned responsible positions so that the Chairman should provide the information of this meeting to the Leader of the Opposition.”

Thereby, the Speaker asked the Chairman of the CoPF to provide the information of the meeting in question to the Leader of the Opposition.