Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena paid their final respects to the late Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, a former Party Leader and the Opposition Leader of Parliament of Sri Lanka, today (03) in Parliament.
The remains of Tamil National Alliance(TNA) were kept Lie-in-State in the Assembly Hall of Parliament from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm today for final respects.
MPs Angajan Ramanathan, Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Ministers, Members of Parliament, and former Members of Parliament were present to pay their respects.
MP Wajira Abeywardana representing President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella representing the Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa, were present to pay their last respects to the late Mr Sampanthan.
Furthermore, former President and Member of Parliament Mahinda Rajapaksa and former speaker Karu Jayasuriya were also present to pay final respects.
The Parliament secretariat headed by Mrs Kushani Rohanadeera, Secretary-General of Parliament, Ambassadors, government officials, staff affiliated with the Parliament, former staff members and relatives of Mr Sampanthan were present at this occasion.
Upon the arrival of the hearse carrying the remains of late Mr Sampanthan at the main steps of the Parliament complex where at around 2.00 p.m., the dignitaries paid their last respects.
Thereafter the Serjeant-at-Arms, Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms and Assistant Sergeant-at- Arms escort the remains received, along the red carpet which was kept at the special ceremonial hall located in the front hall of the Parliament building. (Pix by Indika Handuwala)
My memory takes me back to 1979, to a moment etched in time when a strikingly tall and impeccably dressed military officer, a Master in charge of Cadeting at Prince of Wales College commanding a guard of honour presented to President J.R. Jayawardene by the cadets of 3CCC, consisted of Ananda, Nalanda and Prince of Wales Cadet platoons at the Prince of Wales College grounds.
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Read this week’s Sunday Times for your interesting articles including the ’’5th Column.’’
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