By W.K. Prasad Manju Courtesy Ceylon Today

Several Party Leaders attached to the SJB alliance had not participated in the protest that was staged in Parliament yesterday (22) by the SJB while Minister of Justice, M.U.M. Ali Sabry, PC was presenting the draft of the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution, informed sources said.

Three of the SJB Party Leaders who had been absent during the protest had been the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem, the All Ceylon Makkal Congress Leader Rishad Bathiudeen and the Jathika Hela Urumaya Leader Patali Champika Ranawaka. Although the said trio is noted to occupy front row seats in Parliament in the Opposition, they were not to be seen when the SJB protest was staged in the House.

It is also said that a few of the Parliamentarians from the Parties led by the aforesaid trio had also been absent during the protest.

Though Hakeem was present at the time of the start of the Parliament session yesterday, when the protest against the 20th Amendment was launched by the SJB, he was not to be seen in the seat.

Both, Hakeem and Bathiudeen were also absent during the protest staged in Parliament by the SJB earlier against the decision taken by Speaker of the Parliament to allow death row inmate Premalal Jayasekara to be sworn in as a Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MP.