Speaker to give ruling on "Secret deal" motion

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2007, 16:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Speaker W.J.M.Lokkubandara is expected to give a ruling this week whether to include the motion submitted by Sripathi Sooriyarachchi in the parliament order book, parliamentary sources said. Mr. Sooriyarachchi has called the Speaker to appoint a parliamentary select committee to probe the alleged secret deal between some leaders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the last presidential election period.

Mr.W.J.M.Lokkubandara is reported to have said that he needs more time to take a decision on the motion citing the sensitive of the issue, when he had been informed by the parliament secretary general Ms Priyani Wijesekara that he is obliged under Standing Orders of Parliament to place the motion in the parliament order book, sources said.

Meanwhile, the main opposition United National Party (UNP) leadership has decided to appoint an independent committee, if the Speaker fails to include the motion by Sooriyarachchi in the parliament order paper, sources said.

The parliament is to meet on Tuesday, this week.