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Parliament bound by the historic duty of amending the electoral system– President
View(s):The red carpet was laid out for President Maithripala Sirisena and First Lady Jayanthi Sirisena at the Parliament Complex in Kotte as they arrived for the ceremonial opening of the first session of the Eighth Parliament of Sri Lanka on Tuesday afternoon.
The President and the First lady were welcomed on their arrival at the parliament complex by the newly appointed Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.
President Maithripala Sirisena addressing Parliament
The President was accorded a guard of honour followed by a 21-gun salute prior to the commencement of the formal proceedings of the House.The President began his address to the House at 3 p.m. during the course of which he asked MPs from all parties to support the national unity government that the United National Party and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party would set up for the next two years.
“Our country was ruled by two parties from time to time since independence. One party ruled the country for 35 years and the other for 32 years. I hope to change this political culture and replace that two party system by a Consociational Government during my tenure in office,” he said.
It’s the first time President Sirisena addressed Parliament since being elected President in January this year. Members of the diplomatic corps, heads of the three armed forces and the IGP as well as former President Chandrika Kumaratunga were in the parliament gallery when the President spoke.
During the address which lasted a little over half an hour, the President said he would take into consideration the different election manifestos put forward by the main parties during the last general election and put together all the ideas to make a common programme to take the country forward.
President Sirisena also said the future of the executive presidency rests with Parliament and said that it was important to bring about much needed electoral reforms.“The present parliament is bound by the historic duty of amending the electoral system so it could be acceptable to all political parties and members of civil society,” he said.
The President pledgeded that as the Commander-in-Chief, he would assure national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country would not be compromised under any circumstances.
He also called on Sri Lankan intellectuals who had left the country to return and contribute to the development of the country.
Earlier in the day UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya was elected to the post of Speaker while UPFA MP Thilanga Sumathipala was elected Deputy Speaker and TNA MP Selvam Adikkalanathan as Deputy Chairman of Committees. All three were elected unanimously.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe proposed the name of Karu Jayasuriya and it was seconded by SLFP Group Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva.
Thilanga Sumathipala was proposed to the post of Deputy Speaker by SLFP group leader Nimal Siripala de Silva and was seconded by SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem. TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran proposed the name of Selvam Adaikkilanathan to the post of Deputy Chairman of Committees while MP Lakshman Kiriella seconded it.
Lakshman Kiriella was appointed to the post of Leader of the House and Gayantha Karunathilake to the post of Chief Government Whip.
(CK)