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Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Monday, 1 December 2025

10th Parliament· 10 debates· 56 speeches· 21 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23033 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

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Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

  3. 3 Procedural Procedural: Opposition Statement and Parliamentary Scheduling Dispute 12 speeches
    • The Hon. Kabir Hashim SJB

      AI summary Kabir Hashim, speaking on behalf of the Opposition, said Parliament had not been given adequate time to discuss policy responses to the current disaster despite prior meteorological warnings. He argued that reservoir management failures, including sudden spill gate openings at Kotmale and earlier precedents such as Deduru Oya in 2016, had worsened the impact and called for a proper policy framework to prevent further loss of life. He urged the Government to acknowledge mistakes, enable cross-party discussion, and work jointly with the Opposition to assist affected communities.

      Public FinanceParliamentary ProcedureInfrastructure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and the Leader of the House of Parliament JJB

      AI summary Bimal Rathnayake, as Leader of the House, began to make a procedural request to the Speaker. The provided excerpt is incomplete and does not state the nature of the request, any proposal, or the policy context.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. Kabir Hashim SJB

      AI summary Kabir Hashim stated that his side did not intend to obstruct the Government or waste parliamentary time, but announced that they would withdraw from the Chamber. He described the situation as unfortunate.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka SJB

      AI summary Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka raised a Point of Order objecting to the debate being limited until 12.30 p.m., stating that the Opposition had requested a full-day debate. He announced that they would leave the Chamber, after which some Opposition Members walked out.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam ACTC

      AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam said the Opposition had requested extended parliamentary time to discuss the current disaster situation and related policy decisions, even offering to pass the Budget Heads on 5 December without debate. He criticized the Government for refusing to postpone or expand the debate and for limiting discussion to 12.30 p.m., arguing that Parliament’s role is to address policy rather than field operations. He cited shortcomings in disaster management in the Northern Province and said the restriction on debate made Parliament irrelevant, explaining the Opposition’s walkout.

      Parliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam ITAK

      AI summary Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam said the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi would join other Opposition parties in leaving the sitting because insufficient parliamentary time had been allocated to discuss disaster relief and district-level needs. He cited severe impacts in the North, East, Central Province and Trincomalee, including the Mawilaru anicut breach, and questioned how ITAK-controlled local authorities and international support networks could coordinate with the Central Government. He argued that the Opposition had sought additional hours, even offering to facilitate passage of the Budget without debate, but that the limited debate time prevented MPs from raising affected communities’ concerns.

      Parliamentary ProcedureLaw & OrderPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. Speaker procedural
      Full speech →
    • The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and the Leader of the House of Parliament JJB

      AI summary Bimal Rathnayake said Parliament should expedite or pass the scheduled Committee Stage Heads and adjourn early so Members and officials could focus on coordinating the national disaster response. He outlined Government actions, including convening disaster management bodies, declaring an emergency limited to disaster management, appointing an Essential Services Commissioner-General, restoring essential services, conducting rescues, and addressing major disruptions in areas such as Kotmale, Badulla, Kandy and Puttalam. He proposed suspending sittings until the Budget could be passed later, invited Opposition input and possible further engagement with the President, and urged cross-party cooperation rather than politicization during the crisis.

      Security & DefenceParliamentary Procedure Full speech →
    • The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF

      AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake disputed the claim that the Opposition agreed to limit the sitting to 12.30 p.m., stating that Opposition parties sought a full-day debate while offering to pass the necessary Heads in Committee Stage by 5 December. He criticized delays and procurement procedures in disaster relief delivery, citing affected areas in the Colombo District where people had not received food assistance due to officials’ concerns over Procurement Committee rules. He said the UNP was coordinating assistance, called for immediate practical action rather than circulars, and urged the Government to provide time in Parliament for MPs to raise public concerns during the Appropriation Bill Committee Stage.

      Parliamentary ProcedurePublic FinanceCorruption & Governance Reform Full speech →