Chief Opposition Whip calls for 20A debate to be postponed

Tuesday, 20 October 2020 00:56 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Says inadequate social distancing guidelines in place in p’ment
Wants Speaker to hold a discussion on how to respect newly gazetted health guidelines

Chief Opposition Whip, Lakshman Kiriella yesterday wrote to the Speaker of the Parliament, requesting the debate on the proposed 20th Amendment set to begin from Wednesday to be postponed.

Kiriella cited the rapid spread of COVID-19 in many districts and the recently gazetted COVID-19 related public health regulations as reasons for the postponement.

Lakshman Kiriella

“If the new regulations are to be followed, the planned debate will have to be stopped. Social distancing needs to be maintained,” Kiriella stated, pointing out that the current seating arrangement in Parliament was in breach of the public health regulations and that convening the assembly at a time when meetings have been banned is illegal. “What example will we set to the public if the assembly which creates laws end up violating them?” Kiriella questioned.

The Opposition Parliamentarian requested the Speaker to provide them an opportunity to discuss the matter and to call this week’s parliamentary session in accordance to the public health guidelines that have been gazetted.

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.