121 MPs approve composition of Parliament Select Committee

Karu Jayasuriya - Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya informed the House that 121 MPs voted in favour of the composition of the Parliament Select Committee, while government MPs were absent during the vote.

A total of 116 members had voted electronically while another 4 MPs had voted by roll call due to technical issues.

Accordingly United People’s Freedom Alliance Parliamentarians Dinesh Gunewardene, SB Dissanayake, Nimal Siripala, Mahinda Samarasinghe and Wimal Weerawansa were appointed to the Committee.

MPs Lakshman Kiriella, Rauff Hakeem, Rishard Bathiudeen, Mano Ganesan and Patali Champika were appointed to the Select Committee from the United National Party while Tamil National Alliance MP Mavai Senathirajah and JVP MP Vijitha Herath comprise the Committee.

Meanwhile United People’s Freedom Alliance MPs refused to accept the Speaker’s appointment of the Parliament Select Committee.

Subsequently the United National Party and the JVP called for a vote by name on the matter.

The government members walked out of the Chamber as the Speaker announced the vote protesting over the allocation of members to the Select Committee.