Special session of Parliament on Nov.11

Parliament will hold a special session on November 11 at 11.30 a.m. on a request made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The decision to take up the debate on the Prevention of Offences relating to the Sports Bill and the National Innovation Agency Bill was taken at the Business Committee of parliament.

It came in the wake of government MPs urging the Speaker to take steps to approve the Prevention of Offences relating to the Sports Bill before the election claiming that certain people were plotting to delay the bill being passed.

Sports Minister Harin Fernando raised concerns that Prevention of Offenses relating to Sports Bill was not included in the Order Paper whereas it was approved in the Sectoral Oversight Committee.

He informed the Speaker that he doubted whether the Parliament staff was behind the moves to delay the Bill to protect a certain politician and requested him to conduct an investigation and reveal the truth.

The minister said regulations under sports law had been included in the Order Paper yesterday whereas there was no quorum at the committee while the Prevention of Offences relating to Sports Bill was not included despite being approved by the oversight committee.

He pointed out the need to approve the Bill before the presidential election as some were trying to delay it until the election was over with an ulterior motive to prevent the Bill from being approved in Parliament.

He requested the Speaker to convene a party leaders’ meeting and allocate a special parliamentary session to get the Bill passed before the election. (Ajith Siriwardana)