Parliament to be made Constitutional Assembly

15 December 2015 03:36 am

President Maithripala Sirisena is to present a motion to convert the Parliament into a Constitutional Assembly on January 9, 2016, informed sources said yesterday.

This date was fixed at a party leaders meeting held yesterday with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. The party leaders have decided to hold sessions on Saturday January 9, they said.

Also the motion to set up 18 oversight committees will also be presented on that day.

Several pacts signed by Foreign Affairs Ministry are to be presented to the House for approval on December 19.

Meanwhile a disagreement occurred between UPFA members and the government on the date of the debate on the no confidence motion on Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

MP Dinesh Gunawardane had asked for a date for the debate while leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella had said there was no need for a no-confidence motion as the budget vote would be a vote of confidence on the Minister.

However the Speaker had decided to call another party leaders meeting to decide on the matter on some other date. (Yohan Perera)