Sitting of Thursday, 27 February 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1741437399068186 ·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 Opening: Parliament Session Commenced and Message from President on Public Security Proclamation 22 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers: Ministerial Notifications and Reports (Excise Ordinance, Foundation and Corporate Reports, Public Finance Committee Report) 3 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions: Citizens' Petitions Presented by Multiple Members 8 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Grade 5 Scholarship Exam 2024 - Leak of Questions (Q.105/2024) 21 speeches
- 5 Oral question Oral Questions: Power Generation (Q.153/2024), Human-Elephant Conflict (Q.188/2024), Majma Nagar Cemetery (Q.291/2024), Public Service Commission Uva Province (Q.389/2025) 19 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Question under Standing Order 27(2): Rule of Law and Inclusive Justice System 9 speeches
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition SJB
AI summary The Leader of the Opposition questioned the Government under Standing Order 27(2) on rising organised crime, citing 17 shootings in the first two months of 2025 and a murder within court premises, and asked what measures had been taken to restore public security. He sought details on promised procedures to protect suspects taken from police stations, guidelines on media coverage of arrests, and whether the Government had a concrete crime prevention plan beyond arrests after incidents. He also asked about reported tensions between the IGP and the Police Commission, the functioning and membership of the National Security Council, and raised concern that a 15% SVAT on services was harming digitalization and the digital economy.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Sajith Premadasa briefly addressed the Prime Minister, indicating that the Prime Minister could respond to the matter at hand while noting that the Minister was also willing to answer. No substantive policy issue or proposal was raised in the excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Sajith Premadasa SJB
AI summary Sajith Premadasa sought the Speaker’s permission to briefly raise a question concerning the 15 per cent SVAT. The intervention appears to introduce a query on that tax matter, but no further details or demands are included in the provided excerpt.
Public Finance Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Ananda Wijepala – Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs
AI summary Minister Ananda Wijepala responded to a Standing Order 27(2) question, stating that available data do not show a significant rise in shootings or homicides in early 2025 compared with previous years, and outlining police, STF, Tri-Forces, patrol, roadblock, rapid response, intelligence and surveillance measures against organised crime and drug-related violence. He said guidelines on the safety of suspects taken out of police stations, relevant Supreme Court directions, IGP circulars, offender monitoring procedures and divisional responsibility documents would be tabled or placed in the Library. He also said the Government would not restrict media reporting in a way that infringes the constitutional right to information, denied any clash between the IGP and the National Police Commission, and detailed the composition and functioning of the National Security Council, which he said meets regularly and reviews security directives.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- 7 Debate Debate: Committee Stage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill - Special Expenditure Heads (Heads 1-25) and Amendments 76 speeches
- 8 Adjournment Adjournment: Motion on Prevention of Relocation of Norwood Divisional Secretariat to Hatton 19 speeches