ECONOMYNEXT — Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has been appointed as the chair of Sri Lanka’s Former Parliamentarians’ Caucus.
Parliament said in a statement on Monday July 08 that Jayasuriya’s appointment was made unanimously at the first meeting of the caucus which was held at the parliament complex recently.
The meeting had been chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana. Jayasuriya’s name was proposed by the former Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala and former Member of Parliament Sumedha G Jayasena, the statement said.
Former MP Shantha Premaratne was appointed as the convener of the caucus, also unanimously.
Secretary General of the Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera and Assistant General Secretary Hansa Abeyratne were also present at this meeting, the statement said.
Rohanadeera has said at a discussion at the meeting that Secretariat of the Parliament is working to resolve is working to resolve issues faced by former parliamentarians.
Speaker Abeywardena has discussed the “importance of contributing knowledge and experience of former parliamentarians for the future development of the country”, according to the statement.
The MPs had also agreed to form a constitution for the caucus and to form sub-committees to contribute to the development of the country by utilising the international relations and political experience of former parliamentarians. Sub-committee on welfare affairs, sub-committee on constitutional affairs, sub-committee on political affairs and sub-committee on economic and international affairs were also formed, the statement said.
Former MPs Ananda Kumarasiri, Shantha Premaratne, Anura Bastian, Chandradasa Galappatti, Ranjan Ramanayake, Chandana Kathriarachchi, Jeevan Kumarathunga, Sumedha G Jayasena, Tissa Karalliyadde, Ameer Ali, Noel Padmasiri, Ananda Kularatne, Samantha Karunarathne, Hema Ratnayake, Upali Amarasiri, Themiya Loku Bandara, Kesaralal Gunasekara, Samansiri Herath, Deepal Gunasekara, Premasiri Manage, P Tissakuttiarachi, Uditha Lokubandara, Kamala Ranatunga, R Nandimitra, G de Soyza, Ravindra Samaraweera, Nandana Gunathilake, Nandimitra Ekanayake, and P Dayaratne were present at the meeting. (Colombo/Jul09/2024)