'Inquire JO attempt to stop you signing OMP Bill'

Deputy Government Whip and United National Party (UNP) MP Ashu Marasinghe said yesterday he had written to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya requesting him to launch an inquiry into statements made by some joint opposition MPs that they had urged him to refrain from certifying the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) Bill.

In a news article published in Daily Mirror dated on August 18, the JO MPs had urged the Speaker not to endorse the OMP Bill.

Referring to the article, Mr. Marasinghe said certifying a Bill passed in the House was a legislative duty cast on the Speaker according to Article 79 of the Constitution.

“If anyone opposes this or implores on you to refrain from doing so are in other words pressuring you to deviate from the salutary provisions of the Constitution. Any person who does this will be guilty of a breach of privilege of Parliament,” he said in the letter to the Speaker.

He requested the Speaker to inquire into the matter and take necessary action if the JO had done so.