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Satchi takes job that many dodged
By Chandani Kirinde
Deputy Chairman of Committees M. Satchithanandan has agreed to be chairman of the standing committee of Parliament on the controversial Anti-Conversion Bill, a post several others declined to accept.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse who initially chaired it resigned last month after which it was offered to Buddha Sasana Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. Both declined the offer.

The JHU which presented the Bill to Parliament as a private member’s Bill has suggested that its parliamentarian Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera chair the committee but there was no agreement on this either. The name of Deputy Speaker Geetanjana Gunawardena was then proposed, but he also turned down the offer.

The work of the standing committee is to closely scrutinise the bill and report back to Parliament and ensure that no clauses affecting private right or interest is allowed in such a bill except in certain circumstances.
The Bill was challenged before the Supreme Court and the court ruled that several of its clauses were unconstitutional and its passage through parliament required a two-thirds majority.

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