Moves to abolish sectoral oversight committees to prevent 20A being reviewed: Sajith

• SOCs introduced to oversee matters taken up in House: Sajith
• SOCs only suspended till members appointed to them: Dinesh

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera  

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday alleged that the government was trying to abolish sectoral oversight committees to prevent the 20th Amendment being reviewed by the oversight committees.  

He told Parliament that Sectoral Oversight Committees were introduced by the previous government to oversee and make recommendations on matters being taken up in the House and facilitate parliament activities.  

He pointed out that the moves to suspend or abolish them proves that the government was trying to present the 20A directly in the House without being reviewed by the oversight committees. “We are against such moves. We can’t allow that to happen,” he said.  Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane informed the House that Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Mayantha Dissanayake had been appointed to study about the oversight committees and present a report in Parliament.  Opposition Leader Premadasa, who stood, requested the Speaker to suspend the decision until the said report was submitted in Parliament.  Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardane, who clarified the matter, said the oversight committees were suspended only till the members to the committees were appointed.