Government Relents On Joint Opposition Demands

February 25, 2016

The President and the Prime Minister have agreed to let political party leaders of the opposition team to make special statements under the Standing Order 23(2), UPFA MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara said.  

Therefore, the protests joint opposition members were to stage in the parliament will be ceased, he said.

The President and the Prime Minister have agreed with all the requests other than recognizing them as an independent group in the parliament.

Under Standing Order 23(2), joint opposition party leaders will be allowed to statements on matters of national importance, and to attend meeting of party leaders.

In addition, joint opposition party leaders will be able to appoint joint opposition members as members of the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises and the Committee of Public Accounts.

Five more members are to be appointed to the committees while the joint opposition will be given the opportunity to appoint two of them.