• ‘Business Committee’ to decide on summoning or passing resolution on election funds
• SJB urges summoning
• Kiriella contradicts Speaker on Speaker’s powers

A decision regarding summoning Secretary to the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies Mahinda Siriwardana to Parliament, or opting for a Parliamentary resolution to establish whether there are sufficient funds to conduct the postponed Local Government (LG) poll is to be reached at today’s (1) Parliamentary Business Committee meeting.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana said yesterday (28 February) that the members of the said Committee would decide today whether to summon Siriwardana or to pass a resolution in Parliament to determine if there are sufficient funds in the Treasury to hold the said election. 

“Either we bring him down to provide verbal instructions or give such in writing through the said resolution, which is almost the same. If it is the resolution, it should be brought in immediately,” he added.

When queried whether Opposition Parliamentarians had requested Siriwardana to be summoned to the Committee on Parliamentary Business meeting, he said: “You cannot summon a Treasury Secretary at such short notice. That is not good. He holds one of the highest positions in the country and has a high level of responsibility. A reasonable time should be provided for him to get ready and attend a meeting like this. They have requested, and I told them to make a decision tomorrow (1) at the Business Committee meeting. Give him a little time. The Treasury Secretary will have to be ready for what they are asking. He cannot be expected to just come and comment on what is taking place off-hand. Let him come and inform them. Tomorrow, these people will have to make the decision and implement it.”

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Chief Opposition Whip and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Attorney Lakshman Kiriella said: “Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa wanted a meeting with the Speaker, with the SJB crowd and about 10 MPs from Opposition MP Dullas Alahapperuma’s team. We told the Speaker to summon the Finance Ministry Secretary for tomorrow’s (1) Business Committee meeting at 1.30 p.m. The Parliament has financial control, not the Finance Minister (President Ranil Wickremesinghe) or the Finance Ministry Secretary. We told him to summon the Treasury Secretary so that we can establish that there is enough money to conduct this election. The Chairman of the Election Commission (EC) (Attorney Nimal G. Punchihewa) had only asked for Rs. 4.5 billion. 

The Parliament has financial control and the Speaker must somehow agree to the proposal of Punchihewa and get the funds released. A Rs. 10 billion allocation has been passed in the last 2023 Budget. We told him to summon Siriwardana because we can prove that there is enough money. In a previous instance, the Speaker summoned the Attorney General as well when there were disputes. The Speaker has the right to summon. He has all the powers. He had said that there are no provisions. But, there is a clause that says that when the Standing Orders don’t provide provisions, the Speaker’s word is the law. Previously, no EC Chair had asked for money from the Speaker. This is the first time. Standing Orders are silent on that, but the Speaker’s word is the law. He has to somehow see that the money is provided.” 

Although Abeywardana on Monday (27 February) pointed out that there are no legal provisions for him to intervene in releasing funds for the LG poll as requested by the EC in writing last week, he however, stated that the matter should be decided by the party leaders. “The authority is with Parliament, not one or two MPs. Not even the Speaker has anything to do with that. The MPs have to decide.”

Last week, Punchihewa wrote to the Speaker, requesting him to intervene to urge the Treasury to release the funds required to conduct the LG election. The EC decided at a meeting held last week, not to hold the LG poll on 9 March as scheduled due to reasons that have arisen, which are beyond the control of the Commission. The EC further stated that a new date for the LG poll would be declared on 3 March.