Parliament was temporarily adjourned for 10 minutes today (23) after a heated exchange erupted between the Government and the Opposition over a request to hold an urgent debate on judicial vacancies and the proposed increase in the retirement age of judges.
The situation unfolded when Opposition MP Ajith P. Perera informed the House that 20 Opposition MPs had submitted a letter to Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne seeking a debate on the issue.
Responding to the request, Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake stated that the ongoing parliamentary debate could not be interrupted, noting that a vote had already been scheduled for the end of the day’s sitting and that there was insufficient time to accommodate the Opposition’s request.
Rathnayake said that while Parliament could proceed with a vote on the matter, a debate could not be held during today’s session.
The Government’s decision triggered strong objections from Opposition members, with MPs including Harsha de Silva and Dayasiri Jayasekera voicing their displeasure. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa also protested the move.
As tensions continued to rise inside the chamber, Speaker Wickramaratne intervened and announced a 10-minute adjournment to restore order.
