The UPFA MPs walked out of Chamber objecting to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s decision on the Select Committee appointment yesterday.
Leader of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena compared the Parliamentary meeting presided over by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to a UNP meeting.
Although the Opposition won 121 votes in naming Members to the Select Committee cast in their favour, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa still commands the majority in Parliament.
121 MPs of the UNF, JVP and TNA voted in favour of the composition of the Parliament Select Committee, while there were no votes in Opposition as the UPFA left the Chamber. Following a party leaders’ meeting, the House met at 10.30 a.m. chaired by Speaker Jayasuriya with tight security measures taken in the Parliament complex. The gallery was closed to the public with only the media being granted access.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya received House approval yesterday, to include seven lawmakers to the Selection Committee limiting the names received from the UPFA.
Unable to reach a final verdict at the Party Leaders’ meeting held in the morning, Speaker Jayasuriya proposed to include lawmakers Lakshman Kiriella, Rauff Hakeem, Rishard Bathiudeen, Mano Ganeshan, Patali Champika Ranawaka from the United National Party (UNP), MP Mawai Senathiraja from the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), and MP Vijitha Herath from the JVP following the provisions of Standing Order 136 and 143.
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