Sitting of Friday, 14 February 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1739959022084634 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Order of business
Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.
- 1 Opening Parliament Opening and Announcements 5 speeches
- 2 Papers Tabling of Papers: Auditor-General Reports and Ministerial Orders 5 speeches
- 3 Committee report Committee Report: Public Finance Committee - Disbursement Bill 2025 11 speeches
- 4 Procedural Points of Order and Procedural Matters: Supreme Court Determination and Parliamentary Procedures 36 speeches
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF
AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake referred to the Supreme Court determination on the Local Authorities Elections (Special Provisions) Bill and asked the Government to consider a less costly electoral system. He noted prior discussions on reducing election expenditure from Rs. 8,900 million to Rs. 2,900 million and said the public viewed the current cost burden as excessive. He requested clarification on whether reforms could improve affordability and efficiency.
- Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem began to refer to the contents of a Supreme Court determination, apparently in the context of a parliamentary matter under discussion. The excerpt provided is incomplete and does not contain the substance of his argument, proposal, or question.
Justice & Human Rights Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem raised a brief clarification in the presence of the Minister of Justice, noting that he had appeared as counsel for his party in the relevant case. The excerpt does not include the substance of the clarification or any specific proposal or demand.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem requested that he be given an opportunity to speak after the current matter was addressed.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem briefly sought permission to make a clarification. No substantive policy issue, proposal, or question was raised in the recorded statement.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - An Hon. Member
AI summary An Hon. Member stated that seeking clarifications would be pointless because the sitting was scheduled to last only 20 minutes.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem questioned the Attorney-General’s Department’s handling of a Bill where two judges had found certain clauses inconsistent with Article 12(1) of the Constitution, requiring a two-thirds parliamentary majority. He argued that the Department should have identified the inconsistency at the outset and issued the necessary certificate to Cabinet, which he said could have avoided the subsequent procedural issue and expedited the case.
Justice & Human Rights Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem briefly noted that he had requested speaking time to raise a matter concerning the Attorney-General’s Department. No further substantive details, proposals, or questions were provided in the excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Rauff Hakeem objected to the handling of time during the proceedings, stating that adequate time was needed. His remark was directed to the Chair in response to apparent irritation in the chamber.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem requested that additional speaking time be allowed for party leaders.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the Opposition, rose to a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or policy issue was stated in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa requested additional time for the Opposition to speak, citing parliamentary practice and the need to present views. He asked the Government to clarify whether further electricity power cuts would occur, noting the presence of the subject Minister, and also raised concern that political reprisals were continuing.
- Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Leader of the House JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake said Hon. Rauff Hakeem’s reference to the court judgment was timely and could be discussed if confined to that matter, but urged that unrelated issues not disrupt proceedings. He noted that Members needed time to study the judgment presented to the House and that time had already been allocated through party meetings for a debate, requesting that the House proceed with the scheduled Order of Business for the day.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the Opposition, rose on a point of order. No substantive issue, proposal, or argument is contained in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Leader of the House JJB
AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake stated that a Member raising a point of order must cite the relevant Standing Order and follow established parliamentary procedure. He emphasized that matters of urgent public importance cannot be raised arbitrarily under the guise of a point of order.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa rose on a point of order, but no substantive issue, proposal, or request was recorded in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara rose on a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or question was included in the recorded statement.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri SJB
AI summary Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri briefly rose on a point of order. No substantive issue, proposal, or argument was recorded in the provided excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa requested a ministerial statement on recent and possible upcoming power cuts, particularly the risk of power shedding on Sunday if solar generation and industrial demand are low. He asked the Minister to explain the causes of the outages and the measures being taken to stabilize supply, including whether factories would be operated on Sunday to balance demand and supply. He also linked the issue to broader concerns about transparency, competitiveness, administrative changes, and foreign investors leaving the country.
- Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara raised a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or policy issue was presented in the excerpt provided.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law SJB
AI summary Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara raised concerns about international discussions on USAID transactions relating to Sri Lanka and referred to a letter from Hon. Namal Rajapaksa requesting a Special Committee. He urged that, since the Prime Minister’s name had also been mentioned, the matter should be addressed formally and asked the Speaker what action would be taken, including whether such a committee would be appointed.
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- Mr. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka SJB
AI summary Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka questioned the Leader of the House’s statement that power cuts were not an urgent matter, noting that the public was closely observing the issue. He requested that the Minister of Power and Energy provide clarification in Parliament, especially given the cost of convening the sitting.
Public Finance Full speech → - Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri SJB
AI summary Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri rose on a point of order, but the provided excerpt does not include the substance of the intervention or any specific issue raised.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
- 5 Procedural Motions at Commencement of Public Business 9 speeches
- 6 Procedural Motion: Privilege Matter Referral to Ethics Committee 14 speeches
- 7 Adjournment Adjournment 4 speeches