Opposition Whip requests Speaker to postpone debate

Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella in a letter addressed to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene had requested him to postpone the debate on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution due to the COVID-19 situation in Sri Lanka.

"The current seating arrangement in the House violates the regulations stipulated in the gazette notification pertaining to quarantine law issued by the Minister of Health recently. Holding sessions in Parliament itself is a violation of the laws stipulated. Therefore we request you to give an opportunity to confer with you and postpone the debate on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution," Mr. Kiriella has said in his letter.

He noted in the letter that Sri Lanka has been late in formulating laws pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic situation unlike many other countries which had introduced quarantine laws by May this year. (Yohan Perera)