The main Opposition Party in Parliament, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is to boycott both the ceremonial opening of the fourth session of the ninth Parliament tomorrow (8) and the Government policy statement to be delivered by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, Chief Opposition Whip and SJB MP Attorney Lakshman Kiriella said yesterday (6) that his party’s Parliamentary group met five days ago and decided to boycott the above.
“By proroguing the Parliament, he has obstructed the smooth functioning of the Parliament. All the committees that were appointed two or three months ago are now non-existent. We have to appoint committees again and obtain names from the parties, and get that approved by the Parliament. The work of the Parliament will be unnecessarily delayed by six months, and all the inquiries that were conducted by the previous committees are now non-existent,” he added.
Kiriella pointed out that there is no necessity to prorogue Parliament twice in seven months. “It has never happened in Sri Lanka before. There is no need to prorogue it and proroguing it twice within just seven months is not acceptable. The President is intervening in the workings of Parliament. When he came, he said that he would strengthen the Parliament. He said that he would allow the Parliament to work smoothly. But, by doing this, he has disrupted it,” he further added.
President Wickremesinghe prorogued the Parliament on 27 January, issuing a gazette notification that marked the conclusion of the third session of the ninth Parliament and announced that the fourth session of the ninth Parliament will commence tomorrow. He prorogued Parliament in accordance with the powers vested in him under Article 70(1) of the Constitution. According to Articles 33(a) and 33(b) of the Constitution, following the end of one session of the Parliament and when a new session commences, the President has the opportunity to ceremonially declare open Parliament and preside over to present the Government’s Policy Statement.