Dinesh critical of Sujeewa’s remarks on President

Comments made by the State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe on the conduct of President Maithripala Sirisena elicited the ire of the Joint Opposition yesterday in Parliament. 

UPFA Joint Opposition parliamentary group leader Dinesh Gunawardena, reading out Minister Senasinghe’s comments, stated that it was a violation of the Standing Orders. 

“A clear guideline with regards to the conduct of the President is given in the Parliament Standing Order 78. It is sad to see that Minister Senasinghe, while addressing a conference, has mentioned that the President should not become a party to the hoards of people to destroy young politicians of the UNP. Then he went on to say that he was also the same age as his children and if the President was protecting his children or if the President was hit by eNews in the same way it was not correct for certain media to attack young politicians of the UNP. Then Minister Serasinghe goes on criticising the President of the country,” he said, asking Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to give a decision.

Adding to Minister Senasinghe’s comments, UPFA Joint Opposition MP Bandula Gunawardena, reading out a few newspaper reports, said: “Where is a commission for the MiG transaction? Where is a Presidential Commission for the ship transactions? Where is a Presidential Commission for advertising firms?” (AH)