Breaking News, News

Speaker defends allowing convicted murderer to take oaths

09 Sep, 2020

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena today defended his decision to allow convicted murderer Premalal Jayasekara to take oaths as a Member of Parliament.

The Speaker said that disrupting Parliament proceedings when an elected MP is taking oaths is not acceptable.

The opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) today accused the Speaker of refusing to consider objections raised before Jayasekara took oaths as an MP yesterday (Tuesday).

SJB Parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella said that he attempted to raise a legal point before Jayasekara took oaths as an MP.

However, he said he was not recognised by the Speaker until Jayasekara took oaths.

The Speaker however said that there was no legal issue in the MP taking oaths.

Meanwhile, SJB member Harin Fernando raised objections to calls by the Government to remove comments made yesterday in Parliament on Jayasekara being appointed as an MP.

Fernando said that the Speaker must ensure all objections raised are mentioned in the hansard.

Jayasekara was brought to Parliament by Prisons Department officers yesterday after the Court of Appeal issued an interim order to allow him to attend Parliament sessions.

In July, the Ratnapura High Court imposed the death sentence on Premalal Jayasekara and two others over a murder committed during the 2015 Presidential election in Kahawatte.

One person was killed and several others were injured in the incident.?(Colombo Gazette)

Recommended For You

Feature Image

Over 160 placed in mandatory self-quarantine

The Police have detained 162 persons in the Western Province for failing to wear face masks in public places. The individuals were detained within the last 24 hours ending at 06.00 a.m. today during special operations conducted by the Police. The Police said the individuals have been placed in mandatory self- quarantine for a period of 14- days. Thirty-nine (39) individuals were arrested on charges of violating the Quarantine Act during special operations conducted by the Police in the Wester

01 Jul, 2020

Feature Image

UN rights chief notes concerns on Sri Lanka at HRC

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, today noted concerns on Sri Lanka in her opening speech at the?44th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In her global update on human rights and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bachelet raised concerns over the targeting of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka. “I am dismayed by reports indicating that in many countries, members of minority communities and migrants face increasing stigmatisation ? including, in some

30 Jun, 2020

Feature Image

EU insists Sri Lanka not blacklisted from visa list

The European Union (EU) today insisted that Sri Lanka has not been blacklisted despite not being considered among countries approved visas when internal border controls are lifted. The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Sri Lanka and the EU Member States Embassies in Colombo issued a clarification today on lifting the temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU and reports that Sri Lanka was not included in the list of selected countries. The EU and Member States Ambassadors

29 Jun, 2020