Leaders of opposition parties hold special meeting

Leaders of several political parties in the opposition have convened a special meeting in the Parliament complex.

The meeting is being held under the patronage of Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa.

MPs Dilith Jayaweera, Namal Rajapaksa and (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna are among those attending the meeting, Ada Derana has learnt.

Earlier, several opposition members of Parliament walked out of the Parliament chamber in protest over the actions of the Speaker of House.

According to Chief Opposition Whip Member of Parliament Gayantha Karunathilleka, several MPs including those from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), walked out of Parliament after the Speaker refused to allocate time to discuss the on-going Iran-Israel conflict.

A decision has also been taken to boycott the afternoon session by the group. 

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa questioned as to what steps have been taken by the government to lessen the impact the Israel-Iran conflict may have on Sri Lankans and local businesses.

While being critical of the conduct of the Speaker of House, Premadasa said despite being the Opposition Leader, he has even been prevented from raising a matter which is of national importance.

He said the conflict in the Middle East is escalating into a full-blown war with fears of even the involvement of nuclear weapons.

Opposition Leader Premadasa said therefore the government must be proactive and take actions to minimize the impact the conflict may have on Sri Lankans who are in the Middle East.

The Leader of the Opposition noted that it is puzzling as to why the government is not taking any action to safeguard between 10,000 and 20,000 Sri Lankans who are working in Israel.

After repeated demands from opposition members, Chief Government Whip Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said a response will be given when an adjournment debate is scheduled to be held in the evening.