The Party leaders had agreed to have the Parliamentary debate on the Bond Commission Report and the PRECIFAC report on February 20 and 21, during the party leaders meeting headed by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday.
The Speaker said the President had notified him that he intends to call a party leaders meeting next week and explain to them matters pertaining to the reports and respond to their concerns.
The JVP and Joint Opposition tried their best to get the debate on two special sitting days before the election. But the government turned down the request claiming that the MPs and ministers were fully engrossed in the election campaign.
Joint Opposition group leader in Parliament, MP Dinesh Gunawardane said the Government had scheduled the debate for the latter half of February despite calls from the Opposition to hold the debate before the upcoming Local Government elections.
“We urged the Government to have the Bond report debate before February 10. However, the view of the Government was different. They insisted that as there were no scheduled Sittings before the elections, the debate would be held on the February 20 and 21,” he said.
MP Gunawardana said that it would be a two day adjournment debate, listed to be moved by the JVP and the Joint Opposition.
He noted that the Opposition had brought up the issue with regard to the missing Bond report documents at the Party Leaders meeting.
He had demanded that the Speaker obtain the missing Bond report documents as soon as possible, as the full report is required if a proper debate is to be held, he said.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had informed the Party Leaders’ that he expected to receive the remaining bond report documents within the next week and the MPs would be provided with the missing sections thereafter.