P’ment sittings end abruptly following JO protest

• Speaker rejects claims he ordered police to seek court order to prevent JO protest

 By Skandha Gunasekara

Parliament sittings were adjourned abruptly yesterday as a result of a protest carried out by the Joint Opposition, which charged that the Government was attempting to obstruct their ‘Janabalaya Kolombata’ demonstration slated for today (5).

Joint Opposition Parliamentary Group Leader Dinesh Gunawardena, raising a question under Standing Order 29/2, accused the Government of attempting to sabotage their protest by curtailing the movement of private buses and questioned as to whether the Government would reverse the order given to the police to restrict private bus owners from providing buses for the protest.

Furthermore, the Joint Opposition claimed that Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had requested the police to seek a court order to prevent the JO protest rally from being held.

“The OIC of the Welikada Police made a request of the Colombo Fort Magistrate to issue an order to prevent us from conducting our protest rally, claiming that the Speaker had made this request. This is undemocratic and an infringement of our right to protest,” MP Gunawardena said.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya categorically rejected this allegation.

“I did not give any such instructions to the police. That is a false allegation and I reject it. It has become the norm now for the Opposition to blame me for everything,” the Speaker said.

When the Speaker attempted to move on with the remaining business of the House, Joint Opposition MPs invaded the Well of the House, chanting slogans that the Government was being undemocratic.

In the commotion, the recommendation by the Prime Minister to pay emoluments to the members of the Office of the Missing Persons was passed by the House along with the motion to establish a Parliamentary Select Committee to provide recommendations on ensuring communal and ethnic harmony in Sri Lanka.

While the uproar in the Well was continuing, Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella proposed that Parliament be adjourned till 1.00 p.m. today to which the Speaker agreed and adjourned sittings. (SG)