1.
SV High Commissioner arrives.
0.05

2.
SV Ambassador arrives.
0.08

3.
SV Chief Justice arrives.
0.12

4.
SV VIP arrives.
0.16

5.
GV Naval guard of honour.
0.20

6.
GV Governor General.
0.22

7.
CU Ditto.
0.26

8.
LV INT..Mr Speaker followed by Prime Minister Mr. Dudley Senanayake.
0.29

9.
LV Opposition leader Mr. C.P. de Silva followed by other M.P's
0.34

10.
LV Governor-General's Secretary reads proclamation.
0.38

11.
SV AND CU..Governor General read speech.
0.46

12.
GV House assembled.
0.53



Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A naval Guard of Honour paraded outside Parliament House, Colombo, Ceylon, Apl 6 as Governor-General Sir Oliver Goonetilleke and Government officials arrived for the ceremonial opening of Ceylon's fourth Parliament since she attained Dominion status in 1948.

In his Speech from the Throne the Governor-General disclosed that the Government - a minority one - will take early steps to amend the constitution, with a view to establishing a Republic; but Ceylon has no intention of leaving the Commonwealth. Foreign policy would be based on strict neutrality, non-alliance with Power blocs, and friendship for all nations.

At home, Government plans include early discussions to re-establish communal harmony between Sinhaleses and Tamils, Ceylon's two major racial groups; need for this was underlined by absence of Tamil M.P.s from the opening ceremony because the Speech from the Throne was read in English and Sinhalese, but not Tamil. Fundamental minority rights would be written into the Constitution.

A popular measure was the reduction of rice to 25 cents per measure promised by several political parties in the recent elections.

Premier Dudley Senanayake came to power when his United National Party defeated Mr. Dahanayake's caretaker Government, but won only 50 seats out of 151 contested. Second strongest - Mr. C.P. de Silva's Sri Lanka Freedom Party - won 46 seats, and declared it would oppose the new Government.

The Speech from the Throne will be debated Apl 19-22; if a vote of thanks is defeated it will amount to a vote of censure and the Government may fall.