Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has raised concerns in Parliament over the continued denial of parliamentary privileges to imprisoned Badulla District MP Chaminda Wijesiri.
Speaking in parliament yesterday (07), he said that Wijesiri had not been allowed to attend parliamentary sessions for the past three days despite formal written requests being submitted to the relevant authorities.
The Opposition Leader said that authorities had ignored repeated demands to have MP Wijesiri transported from prison to the parliamentary chamber.
He stressed that preventing an elected Member of Parliament from attending sittings amounted to a direct violation of parliamentary privileges.
He questioned who was responsible for preventing Wijesiri from coming to Parliament, noting that precedents existed for such arrangements to be made.
Premadasa also said that Wijesiri had been deprived of his right to speak and raise questions in Parliament as a result of being kept away from the chamber.
He said that Sections 3 and 5 of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act had been violated, and described the situation as an illegal and unconstitutional breach of the MP's privileges.
He added that Wijesiri had consequently lost the opportunity to participate in recent parliamentary debates as well as in meetings of committees of which he is a member.
The Opposition Leader called on the Deputy Speaker to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee in order to establish who was responsible for the breach.
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