The meeting held today of the Committee on Parliamentary Business decided to debate the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in Parliament on OCtober 21 and 22.
Accordingly, the determination of the Supreme Court on the 20th Amendment will be read in Parliament by the Speaker on 20th October.
The Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, decided to hold the debate scheduled for the October 21 and 22 from 10.00 am to 7.30 pm. The Committee Stage of Bill will commence on October 22 at 7.30 pm post the debate.
Meanwhile, the Committee also decided to take into debate three Regulations under the Sri Lanka Export Development Act on October 20 from 10.00 am. The adjournment debate by the Government will be taken up for debate from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm on the same day.
It was also decided that the Vote of Condolences of the late ex-Members of Parliament R. R. W Rajapakse, K. P. Silva and Surangani Ellawala are scheduled to be present on October 23.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena,Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena, Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella, Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Prof. G.L Peiris, Douglas Devananda, Dullas Alahapperuma, Mahinda Amaraweera, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Prasanna Ranatunga, Ali Sabri and MPs Mahinda Samarasinghe, Gayantha Karunatilake, Rauff Hakeem, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, Dilan Perera, Ranjith Maddumabandara, and Mano Ganesan as well as the Secretary General of Parliament Dhamika Dassanayake and the Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff Neil Iddawela were present at the meeting.
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Debate on 20A on October 21, 22
Sandasen Marasinghe
The Parliament Business Committee Meeting decided to hold the debate on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution on October 21 and 22 from 10.00 am to 7.30 pm.
The Business Committee Meeting was presided over by the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and it was told that the Supreme Court order on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution will be presented to the House on October 20.
Parliament sources said that some Opposition leaders asked for a four day debate on the subject but finally it was decided to hold the debate for two days. The Third Reading on the matter will be taken at 7.30 pm on October 22.
The round of questions for oral answers would not be held during these two days and the debate would last without a lunch break as well.
The Draft Bill of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution was tabled in Parliament for the First Reading on September 22. Justice Minister Ali Sabry presented the 20A Bill to amend the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
The objective of the proposed 20th Amendment is to reverse most of the changes brought about by the 19th Amendment which was enacted by the previous Good Governance Government. It was also a key election pledge of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).
