Lanka Parliament to convene on Tuesday for first time after PM Wickremesinghe's reinstatement
Colombo, Dec 18: Sri Lanka's Parliament is set to convene on Tuesday for the first time after the reinstatement of Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister that ended the 51-day political standoff in the country, but he and President Maithripala Sirisena are yet to agree on Cabinet positions.
Sirisena, whose controversial actions plunged the island nation into an unprecedented political turmoil for nearly two months, reinstated Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister on Sunday, after sacking him on October 26 and appointing ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place and also dissolving Parliament, some 20 months early.
Sirisena was left with no other option following two separate decisions by the Supreme Court, which nullified his illegal moves. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is scheduled to chair a meeting on Tuesday to decide on the business of Parliament this week.
As Cabinet ministers are yet to take oaths, only the Prime Minister will be assigned a seat in the Chamber, Parliament Deputy Secretary General Neil Iddawela said.
"We are hopeful that the list can be finalised soon. We are also looking at some of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Sirisena's party) members to join," Nalin Bandara, a parliamentarian from Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP), said.
The UNP sources said Sirisena is demanding the ministries of law and order and mass media.
It has been reported that the UNP has been assigned seats in the government side and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MPs have been assigned seats of the Opposition.
A final decision has not been taken on the opposition leader's position. State newspaper Daily News reported that about 10 UPFA MPs are expected to join the UNP side.
"The SLFP members decided last night that none would join the government," Nishantha Muthuhettigama, a Sirisena loyalist said.
The Sirisena camp now is divided between the SLFP and Rajapaksa's SLPP. They are to join together to form a united alliance at the next election.
Parliamentary officials said that seats would be allocated based on the seniority this afternoon when parliament meets for the first time since the crisis ended. Sirisena and Rajapaksa loyalista, who have been boycotting parliament since mid last month, are set to return to Parliament on Tuesday.
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RS proceedings adjourned for day amid opposition protest over Adani bribery row, other issues
New Delhi(PTI): Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Wednesday as opposition members insisted on a discussion on various issues, including bribery charges related to the Adani Group.
The proceedings were briefly adjourned in the morning session due to opposition protest, and when the House re-assembled at 11.30 AM, there were identical scenes.
This prompted Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to adjourn the proceedings for the day, saying the "House is not in order".
The trobule started after Dhankhar rejected 18 notices under a rule of the House to suspend scheduled business and take up issues mentioned in the notices.
The notices related to demand for 'constitution of a JPC to investigate the alleged misconduct, including corruption, bribery, financial irregularities of the Adani Group in connivance with other authorities', violence in Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh and rising incidents of crime in the national capital.
"Upper House needs to reflect and follow well-established traditions that ruling of the Chair requires reference and not cause differences. I have, in detail, given reasons why, in these situations, notices are not being accepted," Dhankhar said while rejecting the notices under Rule 267 of the House.
On Monday also, the Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day during the morning session itself as opposition insisted on raising the issues related to Adani Group.
There was no sitting of the House on Tuesday.
The Adani Group said on Wednesday that Gautam Adani, and his nephew Sagar have not been charged with any violation of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the indictment that authorities filed in the New York court in an alleged bribery case.
