Speaker will respond to petition on OMP: JO

The joint opposition today said Speaker Karu Jasuriya had told them he would respond to their petition asking him not to endorse the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Bill.

The Speaker also said he would take legal advice on the matter if it was necessary when joint opposition members including its leader MP Dinesh Gunawardane, Prof. G.L. Peiris, MP Bandula Gunawardane and MP Udaya Gammanpila handed over a six-page petition to the Speaker regarding this matter.

Addressing a media briefing, joint opposition member MP Udaya Gammanpila said it would be against the Constitution and the Standing Orders if the Speaker endorsed the OMP Bill and it would be an offence as he had intentionally violated the legal procedure.

He said even a no-confidence motion could be brought against the Speaker if he endorsed the OMP Bill.

“According to Section 78 (2) of the Constitution requires that the passing of a Bill should be done in accordance with the Standing Orders and Section 79 of the Constitution includes that the Speaker should certify a Bill which has been duly passed in Parliament. Section 151 of the Constitution says the Cabinet approval should be sought if any Bill which is related to collecting taxes and deposits the collect revenue to the Consolidated Fund, when presenting in Parliament,” he said.

He said if the Speaker would endorse the OMP Bill it would be totally against Sections 78, 79 and 151 of the Constitution. He said it was also against the Section 133 of the Standing Orders as it said that the Speaker should declare that he has obtained the Cabinet approval to the Bill at Parliament. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)