Chief Government Whip and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has questioned the Bar Association of Sri Lanka’s (BASL) characterization of views expressed by government in Parliament as “threatening,” triggering a heated exchange with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
Raising the issue in Parliament today, Jayatissa referred to a letter sent by BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya to the Opposition Leader following Wednesday’s proceedings over a proposed briefing for MPs on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.
Jayatissa said the government had no objection to the Opposition Leader meeting the BASL President or its representatives, either at the Opposition Leader’s Office or elsewhere.
However, he said the issue raised by the government was related to parliamentary procedure and whether the Opposition Leader could convene all 225 MPs for such a meeting.
Jayatissa said the Leader of the House had merely explained the established parliamentary procedure and traditions during Wednesday’s proceedings and had not issued any threat.
He questioned whether it was appropriate for the BASL to subsequently characterize the government’s position expressed during proceedings in Parliament as “threatening.”
“MPs can express different views. There was no threat of any kind. What we explained was the procedure,” Jayatissa said.
He argued that government MPs, including the Leader of the House, Prime Minister and other members, had the right to express their views in Parliament and questioned whether treating such interventions as threats was consistent with parliamentary traditions.
Responding to Jayatissa, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa rejected claims that he had personally attempted to summon all 225 MPs for the BASL briefing.
Premadasa said he had requested the Speaker to facilitate a briefing for all parliamentarians and maintained that he had acted only as a facilitator.
He said correspondence concerning the proposed briefing had been tabled in Parliament and that the Speaker and Leader of the House had previously been informed about the initiative.
Premadasa said the proposed discussion was intended to address the 22nd Amendment as well as concerns relating to appointments to the superior courts.
The Opposition Leader also defended the BASL President’s reference to the government’s position as threatening, claiming that some government MPs had spoken in a threatening manner during Wednesday’s proceedings.
He argued that the BASL President had a constitutional right to express how he perceived the statements made in Parliament.
Premadasa said the BASL had informed him that it would not participate in the briefing scheduled for Thursday and had instead requested another date.
He also disputed reports suggesting that the BASL had rejected the briefing altogether, saying the association had sought its postponement amid concerns over the circumstances surrounding the proposed meeting.
SJB MP Ajith P. Perera also intervened in the exchange, defending the BASL’s right to express its position.
Perera said the BASL was an independent institution and argued that if its representatives considered statements made in Parliament to be threatening, they were entitled to express that view.
Jayatissa, however, reiterated that the government had only raised procedural issues and maintained that parliamentary statements should not be portrayed as threats merely because they differed from the BASL’s position.
The exchange comes amid growing debate over the proposed 22nd Amendment, which seeks to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges by two years. The Bill was presented to Parliament on August 18. (Newswire)
