Deputy Speaker had set a bad precedent: UNP

7 February 2014 03:35 pm

The main opposition UNP today charged that Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakoky had set a harmful precedent by not allowing the opposition to go ahead with a debate on the Norochcholai Power plant by adjourning Parliament sessions.

“The Deputy Speaker set a fine precedent by adjourning sessions,” MP Ravi Karunanayake said in sarcastic manner.

He told a news conference that the sessions were adjourned following the advice of Leader of the House and Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva who requested the Deputy speaker to do so. He said the Leader of the House came up with a wrong argument stating that the opposition did not move the motion.  

Mr. Karunanayake said he wanted to raise a point of order in the House on an important matter while moving the adjournment debate and the government made use of this opportunity to get away from answering on the Norochcholai crisis.

The sessions of the House was confined to less than two hours as a result of the Deputy Speaker adjourning sittings around 2.45 pm yesterday till February 18.

UNP national List MP Eran Wickremeratne said the party was going to reveal how the government had burdened the people with the continuance of the fuel adjustment charges on electricity tariff. He said the country did not have to depend on thermal power any more as the amount of hydro power had increased to 4570mw in 2013 compared to 3270mw in 2012.  (Yohan Perera and Lahiru Pothmulla)