Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella requested Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena in Parliament today (10) to summon him immediately as the Minister of Finance has not come to the House for three months and given an answer to the people at a time of economic crisis.

His request was followed by a heated debate in the House this morning between members of the ruling party and the opposition.

Kiriella said that although the Minister of Finance should have come to this House to speak on behalf of the people at a time when the country was bankrupt, he was avoiding that opportunity and that the last time the Minister of Finance came to Parliament was on December 10 last year.

The Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said that he was requesting to withdraw the statement that the Minister of Finance was not present in the House.

The Leader of the House said that the Minister of State had replied to all the questions referred to the Minister of Finance on his instructions and all the documents submitted by the Minister of Finance had been debated in Parliament.