126th IPU sessions in Uganda
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
The Sri Lankan government was asked to clarify the situation with regard to the investigations on the murder of four parliamentarians at the 126th Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) session in Kampala, Uganda.
The sessions were held from March 31st till April 5th in Uganda.
The Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians has taken up the murders of parliamentarians Joseph Pararajasingham, Nataraja Raviraj, T. Maheswaran and Deputy Minister D. M. Dassanayake and the investigations being carried out into the incidents.
The four murders have been declared as public cases and the IPU committee is to continuously monitor the progress made in the investigations.
The government delegation at the sessions was headed by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and included Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody.
When contacted, Weerakkody confirmed that the IPU committee had questioned the four murder investigations. “The government responded and handed files on the progress made on the investigations,” he said.
He added that the IPU would continuously monitor the four cases and it would also be taken up at the next IPU sessions scheduled to be held in October in Canada.
Meanwhile, the IPU was handed several petitions by the main opposition UNP on incidents where fundamental rights and privileges of opposition parliamentarians have been violated.
The IPU has called for a response from the government on the complaints made, but the cases would be handled as confidential.
Among the complaints made by the opposition is the alleged assault on UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena in parliament by governing party legislators, the recent attack on a UNP protest that resulted in UNP MPs sustaining injuries and the damaging of vehicles of two UNP MPs Karu Jayasuriya and Rosy Senanayake during a protest in Borella last year.
The sessions were held from March 31st till April 5th in Uganda.
The Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians has taken up the murders of parliamentarians Joseph Pararajasingham, Nataraja Raviraj, T. Maheswaran and Deputy Minister D. M. Dassanayake and the investigations being carried out into the incidents.
The four murders have been declared as public cases and the IPU committee is to continuously monitor the progress made in the investigations.
The government delegation at the sessions was headed by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and included Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody.
When contacted, Weerakkody confirmed that the IPU committee had questioned the four murder investigations. “The government responded and handed files on the progress made on the investigations,” he said.
He added that the IPU would continuously monitor the four cases and it would also be taken up at the next IPU sessions scheduled to be held in October in Canada.
Meanwhile, the IPU was handed several petitions by the main opposition UNP on incidents where fundamental rights and privileges of opposition parliamentarians have been violated.
The IPU has called for a response from the government on the complaints made, but the cases would be handled as confidential.
Among the complaints made by the opposition is the alleged assault on UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena in parliament by governing party legislators, the recent attack on a UNP protest that resulted in UNP MPs sustaining injuries and the damaging of vehicles of two UNP MPs Karu Jayasuriya and Rosy Senanayake during a protest in Borella last year.
