Speaker asks govt. to name Chief Whip and Leader of the House before Jan 3

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has asked the government to name the Chief Government Whip and the Leader of the House before Parliamentary sittings resume on January 03, 2020.

This matter had figured during a party leaders meeting today (Dec 23), the Speaker’s Office said in a statement.

Parliament will reconvene next month for the first time since the presidential election, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa decided to prorogue Parliament this month.

The session will begin at 1 pm with the President delivering his policy statement, before ending at 6 pm.

During today’s meeting, it had been agreed that Parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa will be officially declared as the Opposition Leader during the sitting.

Waruna Liyanage will also be sworn in before the Speaker to fill in parliamentarian Ranjith Zoysa’s seat which has remained vacant since his demise last month.

Meanwhile, the Speaker had stated that he would inform the Acting Inspector General of Police and other relevant officials that last week's arrest of parliamentarian Patali Champika Ranawaka had violated parliamentary traditions.

Party leaders in attendance at the meeting had also decided to bring this matter to the attention of the National Police Commission.