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Budget 2021 : Public and media galleries shut

15 Nov 2020

Only diplomats invited for Tuesday session  

By Skandha Gunasekara The Parliament gallery is to be closed to the public and media on Tuesday (17) when Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is to present the Government's Budget proposals for 2021, as well as during the upcoming debate on the proposals, The Sunday Morning learnt. “The public gallery, as well as the press gallery, will be closed due to the coronavirus guidelines,” Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake told The Sunday Morning. He said that only the diplomatic community would be present. “Diplomats will be allowed to attend. Other than that, we expect the gallery to be quite empty.” The Budget debate is scheduled to commence at 1.40 p.m. on Tuesday.   “It will go on until such time the Prime Minister concludes his speech and then, we will adjourn. There is no definite time. Maybe about an hour or an hour-and-a-half.” He said it would be a 21-day budget debate. “The diplomatic core will only come for the Prime Minister's budget speech on Tuesday. Thereafter, they won’t be coming. The galleries would be closed throughout the whole budget process.” He said these decisions would stand subject to any decisions taken by the Parliamentary Business Committee.  


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