IPU to investigate JO claims

By Skandha Gunasekara

The Joint Opposition (JO) expects the Inter-Parliamentary Union to conduct an inquiry into the Lankan Parliament for allegedly violating the privileges of MPs, JO Parliamentary group leader Dinesh Gunawardena told the Daily FT. 

MP Gunawardena said the JO had received a favourable response from both the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and that its delegation to Geneva was scheduled to meet with the IPU today.

“There has been a total violation of parliamentary privileges of JO MPs. Our MPs are arrested and remanded merely for meeting with those carrying out demonstrations. Furthermore, we are not allocated time to speak in Parliament. We are quite sure that the IPU will carry out an investigation regarding this,” MP Gunawardena said, adding that upon the findings of the inquiry, the IPU could take further measures such as issuing a warning to the Sri Lankan Parliament.

Earlier last month, JO MPs Namal Rajapaksa, D.V. Chanaka and Prasanna Ranaweera were arrested and released on bail in connection with a Joint Opposition picket in Hambantota that they participated in.

Joint Opposition MPs Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Dullas Alahapperuma and Gamini Lokuge are to meet with the IPU in Geneva, Switzerland today. 

Final constitutional draft will be different, warns JO

No matter what the Government states at Constitutional Assembly sessions, the draft constitution bill that comes to Parliament under the cover of night will be wholly different to what is being discussed, the Joint Opposition warned in Parliament yesterday.

Addressing the debate on the Interim Report at the Constitutional Assembly, UPFA Joint Opposition faction MP Rohitha Abeygunewardane said the Government would bring the constitutional draft in a rush and get it passed.

“It is the draft that comes to Parliament for passage that will separate the provinces,” he charged.

Abeygunewardane claimed no time would be given to challenge the bill in the Supreme Court, even though draft constitutions cannot be challenged in the apex court as being unconstitutional since the bill itself aims to repeal and replace the currently prevailing Constitution.

Evoking the LTTE bogey, the JO MP also claimed that TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran was drafting the new Constitution. “It is appropriate that he opens the debate. Those who supported the LTTE’s campaign are now drafting constitutional proposals,” he charged. (DB)