Dullas to act for Dinesh: Speaker turns down request

9 March 2017 07:09 pm

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya today turned down a request made by the joint opposition to appoint MP Dullas Alahapperuma as its acting group leader in place of MP Dinesh Gunawardene who has been suspended from the House for a week.

The Speaker said he had no authority to do so as the matter had to be decided by UPFA Group Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva.

Mr Alahapperuma said he has to raise an important question as per the standing orders 23(2). "Please heed to our request," he told Speaker assuring that the joint opposition has no objective of disrupting the House.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who joined in the cross talks said standing orders did not provide provision for a group leader to assign anyone else to raise questions under the said standing orders. However MP Wimal Weerawansa argued claiming that Mr. Wickremesinghe assigned others to raise questions on behalf of him during his tenure and the leader of opposition.(Yohan Perera)