Saturday, May 14 2005 09:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee yesterday (May 13, 2005) hoped the Opposition, which boycotted the Parliament, would attend the Monsoon Session and begin a new chapter.

Describing as "unfortunate" the boycott by the main Opposition and its allies, despite repeated requests by him, Chatterjee said, "I was prepared to allow any discussion permissible under the rules, but they have chosen to continue the boycott."

He was speaking at his customary end-of-session press conference immediately after the House adjourned sine die.

"I am happy that the Opposition did constructively participate in the discussion on the Finance Bill," he said.

While welcoming Telugu Desam Party (TDP), an ally of the Opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA), calling off the boycott on May 5, the Speaker said he had renewed his request "to all friends to participate in the proceedings of the House".

He said a matter could be more forcefully raised inside the House through discussion rather than outside.

The Speaker said that in order to ensure participation of Opposition in the proceedings, he used to convene meeting of leaders of all political parties just before the start of the proceedings everyday. Initially the leaders of Opposition parties attended the meeting, but subsequently stopped coming, he regretted.

Chatterjee said that he had noticed "a disturbing trend of absenteeism" in the House due to which the House could not meet at the appointed time or its proceedings had to be adjourned for want of quorum.