The Sri Lankan Parliament is scheduled to meet today, December 17, at 9:30 AM, for a series of important proceedings. According to the Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, the meeting will begin with the swearing-in of new Members of Parliament (MPs) from the national list. This will be followed by the election of a new Speaker.
The official oath-taking of the new MPs will take place between 9:30 AM and 9:45 AM, with three MPs nominated by the United People’s Power and one MP nominated by the New Democratic Front set to take their oaths. After this, the new Speaker of Parliament will be elected.
Following the elections, MPs will have the opportunity to raise questions requiring oral answers. From 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Parliament will debate the supplementary estimate aimed at providing allowances to schoolchildren for purchasing stationery. A continuation of this debate is scheduled for tomorrow, December 18.
Due to the election of the Speaker and extended debate times, the supplementary estimate for funding road projects in 2024 will not be debated today, as originally planned.
From 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM, Parliament will also engage in a crucial debate on the Adjournment Motion proposed by the Leader of the Opposition, which addresses the restructuring of international sovereign bonds. The debate on this topic will be extended by an additional hour to accommodate the Speaker election proceedings.
