• P’ment Secy. Gen. notes that both Govt./Oppo. MPs denied speaking time due to the same and both Govt./Oppo. allocating excess time per speaker   
• Sajith-led SJB calls for Opposition discussion on time issue

In response to allegations that sufficient time was not allocated for Opposition Parliamentarians to speak during the debate on the domestic debt restructuring and optimisation programme on 1 July, the Parliament stated that several MPs representing the Opposition as well as the Government were not given an opportunity to speak, and that the issue was caused by the Government's opposition to extend the time of the debate.

The debate on the domestic debt restructuring and optimisation programme was held in the Parliament from 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., and was followed by a vote in which the resolution received 122 votes in favour and 62 against. Following the debate, the Opposition had claimed that the Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana had acted in a partisan manner without allocating adequate time for Opposition MPs to speak during the debate.

When contacted by The Daily Morning to inquire about the Opposition's allegation, the Secretary General of the Parliament Kushani Rohanadheera said that not only Opposition MPs, but also several Government MPs had not been able to speak during the debate as the Government was of the view that the vote should be held at 7.30 p.m. as had previously been decided. "The Parliamentary Business Committee had decided that the debate would go until 7.30 p.m. The allocated time was from 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. It was clearly mentioned in the Order Paper. In a case of this sort, it is up to the House to decide. If the Government agrees, the time could have been extended, but the Government was not in agreement to do so. They wanted to hold the vote at 7.30 p.m." 

Speaking further, she said that both the Government and the Opposition, when preparing the list of speakers, had exceeded the allocation of time. "When there is two hours to speak, and if the speakers' list is in such a way that three hours is needed for them to speak, it is natural that it cannot be accommodated. The Opposition's request was to extend the time, but the Government did not at any point agree to it. That was the issue. Obviously, the Opposition was disappointed as there were a few speakers in their list who were not able to speak. There were also several Government MPs who did not get a chance to speak," she explained.

Meanwhile, as the Opposition and SJB Leader, Sajith Premadasa had said that a meeting of Opposition political parties would be convened to discuss the matter, The Daily Morning queried Chief Opposition Whip and SJB MP attorney Lakshman Kiriella as to whether a date has been fixed for the said meeting, to which he said that a date is yet to be fixed. "We have not decided on a date yet. It will be done when the Parliament convenes again."

Commenting on the incident during the debate, he said: "It was agreed in the Committee on Parliamentary Business to hold the debate until 7:30 p.m., and to extend the duration if there will be more MPs to speak. However, the Speaker broke that agreement. At no time in the history of the Parliament has the MPs been prevented from speaking, and the vote held instead. A vote on a resolution is held after everyone is given time to speak. I have been functioning as a MP for 35 years consecutively, but something of this sort has never happened."