6 September 2019 05:12 pm
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya today expressed his displeasure at the conduct of MPs in parliament and said media reports on ministers not being in the House to respond to questions on Thursday was a blow to the reputation of parliament.
He said this while referring to the tense situation which prevailed in the House yesterday after the government postponed the voting on the regulations of the Sri Lanka Export Development Act despite objections from the Opposition.
The Speaker said the government had acted in parliament yesterday according to standing orders and added that it was not a bad precedent as claimed by the Opposition.
UPFA MP Mahinda Amaraweera said there were ministers, state ministers, non-cabinet ministers and deputy ministers in the government and at least some of them should be present in the House to answer MPs' questions. (Ajith Siriwardana)