The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition
Under Standing Order 19(2)(a), Sajith Premadasa requested an urgent debate, with the support of more than twenty Members, on the implications of the Israel–Iran war for Sri Lanka. He highlighted concerns over the safety of 10,000–20,000 Sri Lankan workers in Israel, risks to tea exports to Iran, possible disruption to oil supplies via the Strait of Hormuz, and wider economic impacts on growth, industry, services, agriculture, and the public. He asked that Standing Orders be suspended to hold the debate immediately or the next day, and called for a formal Government position and plan rather than separate ministerial statements.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Under Standing Order 19(2)(a), I move a motion, with the consent of more than twenty Members, for an urgent debate.
¶ 02 A grave situation has arisen due to the Israel–Iran war. Between 10,000 and 20,000 Sri Lankan workers are employed in Israel and their safety is a serious concern. Iran is also a key destination for our tea exports. We must discuss the impact of this conflict on the tea industry and exports. There is also a threat to close the Strait of Hormuz, and the risk of a limited theatre nuclear war. We need to discuss the impact on our economy—through oil prices—on growth, productive capacity, industry, services, and agriculture, and on the entire populace.
¶ 03 Therefore, we request that Standing Orders be suspended for a debate today, or tomorrow at the latest, to obtain the Government’s plan, position and interventions on these issues. We need a formal response, not disparate statements by individual Ministers.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Wednesday, 18 June 2025 ·No. 1751280704002343 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 18 June 2025. No. 1751280704002343. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/6788