Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena informed today (05) that the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Opposition Whip requested a decision from him in the Parliament Chamber on 01.07.2023 and the Committee on Parliamentary Business held on 30.6.2023, regarding not giving the Leader of the Opposition an opportunity to comment in the Public Finance Committee meeting held on 29.06.2023 in which the Leader of the Opposition participated.
The speaker said that he had done a study on the standing orders and parliamentary traditions in this regard and accordingly, the positions of Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition have been given special privileges in the parliamentary system. Also, since the Honorable Members who hold these positions have a wide scope to get information about the affairs of the Committees, and as a member of the opposition party has been appointed for the position of Chairman of the Public Finance Committee in accordance with Standing Order 121(1), the Speaker emphasized to the House that it is not appropriate to call the persons holding the above-mentioned responsible positions so that the Chairman should provide the information of this meeting to the Leader of the Opposition. (Parliament)
