Chairpersons for COPE & COPA appointed

Chairpersons for two Parliamentary Oversight Committees namely Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) were appointed yesterday. 

Accordingly, MP Prof. Charitha Herath was elected as the Chairman of COPE for the Second Session of the ninth Parliament. Prof. Herath’s name was proposed by Minister Sarath Weerasekara and seconded by MP Susil Premjayanth at its inaugural committee meeting of the second session of the ninth Parliament held today (10) at the Parliament premises.

Meanwhile, MP, Prof. Tissa Vitarana was elected as the Chairman of COPA for the Second Session of the ninth Parliament. Prof. Tissa Vitarana’s name was proposed by State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara and seconded by MP Ashok Abeysinghe at the inaugural committee meeting of the second session of the ninth Parliament held today (10) at the Parliament premises.

The COPE Committee Members were recently appointed by the Committee of Selection in accordance with Standing Order 120 (1) of Parliament. Accordingly, Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Rohitha Abegunawardhana, (Dr.) Sarath Weerasekera, State Ministers Jayantha Samaraweera, D. V. Chanaka, Indika Anuruddha Herath, (Dr.) Nalaka Godahewa, Members of Parliament Rauff Hakeem, Susil Premajayantha, Anura Dissanayaka, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Jagath Pushpakumara, (Dr.) Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramarathne, Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, S. M. Marikkar, Premnath C. Dolawatte, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, Madhura Withanage and Sagara Kariyawasam are the members of the committee.

It is the duty of the Committee on Public Enterprises, with the assistance of the Auditor General, to examine the accounts of public corporations, institutions funded wholly or in part by Government and of any business or other undertaking vested under any written law in the Government laid before Parliament.

The COPA  Committee Members were recently appointed by the Committee of Selection in accordance with Standing Order 119 (1) of Parliament. Accordingly, Minister Udaya Gammanpila, State Ministers Duminda Dissanayake, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, (Dr.) (Mrs.) Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Shehan Semasinghe, Prasanna Ranaweera, MPs Tissa Attanayake, Harin Fernando, Niroshan Perera, Ashok Abeysinghe, Buddhika Pathirana, K. Kader Masthan, Mohomad Muzammil, Sivagnanam Shritharan, Hesha Withanage, (Dr.) Upul Galappaththi, B. Y. G. Rathnasekara, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, (Prof.) Ranjith Bandara and (Dr.) (Ms.) Harini Amarasuriya are the members of the committee.