Sri Lanka opposition leader granted permission to make his statement on Fonseka

The Deputy Speaker of Sri Lanka parliament Chandima Weerakkody today (30) granted permission to Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe to make his speech on Sri Lanka's former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka in the parliament tomorrow (December 01).


Wickremasinghe will make his speech tomorrow in accordance with the Standing Orders.

The Opposition Leader was prevented from making the statement Tuesday on Fonseka after the Leader of the House, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and Chief Government Whip, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena objected saying the speech dealt with issues currently pending before court.

Wickremasinghe said the statement was being made under Clause 23/2 of the Standing Orders of parliament.

However, de Silva and Gunawardena noted that they had read the speech and that certain lines referred to legal cases.

Wickremasinghe requested to make the speech after omitting the respective lines, but the governing party said the lines were inter connected with the rest of the speech.

Following the refusal, the Opposition Leader removed his Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPU) tie and walked out of the Chamber as a mark of protest.

Meanwhile, the government parliamentarians today asked a ruling to suspend Wickremasinghe from the Parliament for removing his tie in the House on Tuesday and walking out as a mark of protest.