The Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, from the Government Chief Organizer’s Office, a day’s time schedule issued outside this Chamber shows a vote at 5.00 p.m. Yesterday also, a vote was to be taken at 5.00 p.m. Some Members attend specifically for the 5.00 p.m. vote. Usually, when you ask whether there is agreement to Motions 01 and 02 on the Order Paper, we say “Aye.” When it is announced that a division will be taken, it must be at the time indicated. If not, the Chair should correct it.

¶ 02 Yesterday’s debate relevant to the item was to start at 1.00 p.m., with the division at 5.00 p.m. The debate began before 1.00 p.m.—which can happen by practice—but the division must be at 5.00 p.m. There was no 5.00 p.m. division. The motion was adopted unanimously, which is fine; but had there been opposition, those wishing to oppose would have done so at 5.00 p.m. The debate did not last till 5.00 p.m. Such procedural errors can set wrong precedents.

¶ 03 Further, in the second round today, the first question requiring oral answers was tabled. That may be lawful. But in the first round, when you called the name of the Member for Question 01 and then Question 02, the Member who asked Question 01 arrived in the Chamber. There are precedents of leniency, including when you were in Opposition. The Member should have been allowed to obtain the answer.