Opposition raises concern on curtailing supplementary questions

Supplementary questions

The ruling party MPS never raised oral questions during the old days but now they do. Therefore, I suggest you allow the opposition MPS to raise three supplementary questions and to allow the MPS in the government benches to raise two supplementary questions

The Opposition yesterday raised questions on the curtailment of the number of supplementary questions an MP could raise during the oral question session.

The issue popped up when the speaker reminded some MPS that they could raise only two supplementary questions.

Joint opposition MP Dallas Alahaperuma who responded said the curtailment suppress the rights of MPS. “The ruling party MPS never raised oral questions during the old days but now they do. Therefore, I suggest you allow the opposition MPS to raise three supplementary questions and to allow the MPS in the government benches to raise two supplementary questions” Mr. Allahaperuma said.

Joint opposition parliamentary group leader Dinesh Gunawardene suggested that Parliament sessions should be held on mornings so that more time could be allocated for oral questions.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya who responded said curtailing of supplementary questions was only an experiment as means of managing time during sessions. “We were only experimenting and I would like to assure that the other suggestions made by the MPS could also be experimented”, he said. He further said the decision to curtail the supplementary questions were made by the party leaders.

Meanwhile, Chief opposition whip Anura Kumara Dissanyake said the decision to curtail the supplementary questions has been made by the party leaders at a meeting which has been summoned suddenly. “Important decisions should not be made during meetings which are hurriedly arranged. Such decisions should be made during the weekly meeting of party leaders.