New chairpersons appointed for key Parliamentary Committees

The first meeting of the Committee on Public Petitions for the first session of the Tenth Parliament was held on January 23, where MP R.M. Gamini Ratnayake was unanimously elected as the Chair.

His candidacy was proposed by MP Manoj Rajapaksa and seconded by MP Ajith Gihan. After the election, Ratnayake thanked the members for their support and expressed his commitment to expediting the petition investigation process to better serve petitioners.

On January 24, Deputy Minister (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma was elected as the Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means. His nomination was proposed by MP Ruwan Mapalagama and seconded by MP Champika Hettiarachchi. In his address, Dr. Suriyapperuma expressed his desire to continue the committee's work successfully and pledged to work diligently for the benefit of the country's citizens.

Later the same day, Minister Chrishantha Abeysena was elected as the new Chair of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges. His candidacy was proposed by MP (Attorney at Law) Thushari Jayasinghe and seconded by MP Krishnan Kalaichelvi. Minister Abeysena assured members of his commitment to upholding the ethical standards of the Parliament.

These appointments are part of the ongoing efforts by Sri Lanka’s Parliament to strengthen its committees and improve its legislative functions.