A tense situation erupted in the Parliament today when Joint Opposition members stormed into the well of the House in protest of moving the second reading debate on the Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Bill.
The Speaker Karu Jauasuriya adjourned Parliamentary proceedings for around two hours to reach to a decision on the continuation of the debate on the bill.
The Speaker suspended the sittings at around 11.20 am.
Following a meeting held with the participation of the Speaker, party leaders, Premier and Attorney General the sittings resumed at 1.30 pm.
The Speaker announced that there aren’t any legal objections to continue the Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Bill and the debate continued.
However while the Joint Opposition members rushed and stood shouting in the well before the sittings suspended, Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Faizer Musthapa commenced the debate and continued the speech.
Opposition member M. A. Sumanthiran delivered a speech next.
However the sittings were suspended temporarily by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya around 11.20 am until a decision is reached whether to continue the debate or not following Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe's submission.
Premier said while MP M. A. Sumanthiran was delivering his speech that the Speaker could decide to suspend the sittings or allow MP Sumanthiran to finish his speech and then suspend sittings.
"However the Attorney General would come to Parliament after 12 noon," Premier said.
The Speaker decided to suspend sittings after MP Sumanthiran winds up his speech.
However when the notifications of the Motions and the Orders of the day commenced, Joint Opposition Member Dinesh Gunawrdena stated that the Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Bill is related to the Provincial Councils and it has not been directed to the Provincial Councils yet.
He added that Speaker should deliver a ruling on it. MP Wimal Weerawansa also raising a point of order maintained the same view.
The Speaker responded that there is no need to direct the same to Provincial Councils and that is the expected ruling.
Joint Opposition Member Namal Rajapaksa said that it was not fair to have moved the bill to the morning and to have taken the vote in the evening, similar to the bill relating to the matters of the Provincial Councils.
He requested the Speaker to discuss the matter with party leaders and Prime Minister and deliver a ruling.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya observed that a meeting will be held at 12 noon with party leaders, Prime Minister and the Attorney General and suggested to continue the debate until then.
At this occasion Joint Opposition MP Gamini Lokuge pointed out that a Parliamentary Oversight Committee and Chairman was appointed in relation to this bill. But these amendments have not been directed to the Committee at any stage.
Joint Opposition MP Keheliya Rambukwella demanded to submit the views of the Attorney General before the Parliament and the Speaker Jayasuriya said that he would do so at the proper moment.
Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Faizer Musthapa said that as powers bestowed on him as the Minister he could bring amendments to the Act any moment.
MP Dullas Alahapperuma stated that when it was queried on Tuesday if the government informed the Provincial Councils on the Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Bill the Leader of the House did not answer.
At this stage Leader of the House and Minister Kiriella stated that the same matter was in the reserved list so it was not necessary to direct it before the Provincial Councils.
"The 18th amendment to the constitution was moved in the morning and was passed in the evening," Minister Kiriella said.
"Was that fair?. Can you remember how it was passed?"
The Speaker observed that it was not necessary to send the amendments to the Oversight Committee.
So the debate could be commenced.
When Minister Faizer Musthpa commenced the debate, Joint Opposition members stormed into the well in protest.
MPs Dinesh Gunawardena, Dullas Alahapperuma, Keheliya Rambukkwella, Wimal Weerawansa, Tharaka Balasooriya, Udaya Gammanpila, Kumara Welgama, Lohan Ratwatta, Wimalaweera Dissanayake, Arundika Fernando, Namal Rajapaksa, Shehan Semasinghe etc rushed into the well and stood before the Speakers bench in protest and began to shout while Minister Musthapa continued his speech.
Thereafter Opposition member MA Sumanthiran joined the debate while the Joint Opposition members remained in the well shouting.
However during his speech Sumanthiran was seen interacting with the members in the well. Some of the member were seen responding to MP Sumanthiran and latter recalled the stance of MP Gammanpila in the Supreme Court on the Provincial Councils.
"MP Gammanpila's counsels maintained in Supreme Court that Provincial Councils were sovereign," MP Sumanthiran said.
However National Policies and Economic Affairs Deputy Minister Harsha de Silva raising a point of order said that the Provincial Councils are not sovereign.
While MP Sumanthiran was in his feet the Premier attended and submitted his views and later the sittings was suspended until around 11.20 after the member wound up his speech.
The sittings resumed at 1.30 pm and Speaker observed that the party leaders, Premier and the Attorney General met in the Parliamentary Complex.
He also observed that according to the views of the Attorney general there is no need to inquire the views of the Provincial Councils on the matter.On the other matter so far amendments to a Bill have not been submitted before the Parliamentary Oversight Committees and so it is not necessary to submit the amendments before the Parliamentary Oversight Committee, MP Sumanthiran said.
He added that the Bill has been submitted before the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on September this year.
At this stage MP Weerawansa said that the amendments are three folds bigger than the bill itself and MP Lokuge said that the one we passed here is not the one we discussed at the Parliamentary Oversight Committee.
At this stage Leader of the House Kiriella said that MP Dinesh Gunawardena agreed there at the meeting to continue.
"The Bill to be passed is not what discussed at the Oversight Committee," said MP Namal Rajapaksa.
"There is a representative of the Attorney General here in Parlimentary Complex to get the views," said Minister Kiriella in response.
The debate was re-commenced by Deputy Minister Ajith P Perera.
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