Jagath Wickramaratne elected new Speaker

Polonnaruwa District National People's Power (NPP) MP Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne was unanimously elected as the new Speaker of the Tenth Parliament this morning. 

His name was proposed by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and seconded by Leader of the House Bimal Ratnayake. 

He was elected to the post of Speaker after the resignation of Asoka Ranwala from the post of Speaker following the controversy regarding the authenticity surrounding his educational qualifications. Mr Ranwala's resignation just 22 days after he assumed office as Speaker makes his the shortest tenure as Speaker in Parliament's history. 

Earlier, the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) had indicated that it too would field a candidate for the post of Speaker today with the agreement of other opposition parties. However, the SJB did not nominate a candidate when Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih asked if there were any other names being proposed for the post of Speaker. Accordingly, the Deputy Speaker announced that Dr. Wickramaratne had been duly elected to the position of Speaker. 

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and party other party leaders congratulated the Speaker. 

Expressing his gratitude to MPs for electing him to the post, the newly elected Speaker said he is committed to working for the betterment of the society while preserving independence, dignity and the rights of all members of Parliament in accordance with the Constitution, standing orders and traditions of Parliament.