Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday suggested the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to probe the allegations made by the Opposition against Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake instead of the no confidence motion against him.

Mr Wickremesinghe said the PSC should be given one month to investigate and submit its recommendations.

He made this suggestion when the opposition asked for a date to take up the no-confidence motion against the Finance Minister.

The Prime Minister said there was no tradition of bringing a no-confidence motion against the Finance Minister with regard to matters pertaining to the budget. He said both the Finance Minister, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet has to resign if the Budget was defeated. He said the no-confidence motion was based on the budget.

Chief opposition whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake said one cannot associate the no confidence motion and the budget. He said budget is more or less a Bill and a no confidence motion is on the conduct of a Minister.

MP Dinesh Gunawardane said the Speaker had assured that a date would be provided to take up the no-confidence motion. This matter should be decided at the next party leaders meeting in January and a date fixed.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said the matter would be discussed at the next party leaders meeting.