Sri Lankan President to deliver Policy Statement at 10th Parliament’s opening session

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is set to present the government’s Policy Statement for the commencement of the 10th Parliament’s first session on November 21, 2024, at 11:30 AM.

Under Article 33(a) of the Constitution, the President has the authority to present the Policy Statement at the beginning of each new parliamentary session, offering a detailed overview of the government’s vision and future plans.

Historically known as the “Throne Speech,” this address is a long-standing tradition, with the first such speech delivered by Governor Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore on October 14, 1947.

With the enactment of the 1978 Constitution, the practice of the President delivering the Policy Statement, rather than the Throne Speech, was established.

Notably, this address is generally not followed by a debate or vote, though there have been instances, such as in 2020, when a debate on the Policy Statement delivered by the President did take place.

Following the ceremonial opening of the Ninth Parliament on August 20, 2020, then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Policy Statement was debated on August 21, 2020, without a subsequent vote.