After swearing in as the 8th Executive President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe informed party leaders that he intends to prorogue parliament for 24 hours for a “fresh ceremonial start”, Parliamentarian Mano Ganesan said.
“President Ranil Wickremesinghe informed party leaders that he intends to prorogue parliament for 24 hours for a “fresh ceremonial start”,” he tweeted.
The prorogation of parliament even for one day will enable the new President to reconstitute parliamentary select committees and appoint five new finance committees along with 10 oversight committees to resolve the economic and political crisis faced by the country.
According to Mr .Wickremesinghe said new committees will be appointed to supplement the already existing committees on government finance namely: the Public Finance Committee, the Accounts Committee, and the Committee on Public Enterprises.
Ten oversight committees that report to the parliament on policies will be appointed, and the parliament should act on the recommendations of these committees, the new Sri Lankan PM said in a special statement.
“The youth are calling for a change in the existing system. They also want to know the current issues. Therefore, I propose to appoint four youth representatives to each of these 15 committees,” he said.
President Wickremesinghe also stressed on the need to change the structure of the parliament to strengthen it adding that his aim is to fulfill the aspirations of a new breed of youths who were conducting struggle at Galle Face Green demanding a system change.
Following the implementation of this strategic plan will make the youths struggle null and void and automatically they will be involved in the country’s administrative process , if they are willing to give up the acts of sabotage and damages to public property and looting of assets,several economic analysts said.
His aim is to establish a National Council, a committee consisting of the Speaker, the Prime Minister, the leader of the opposition and the leaders of the major parties
. The National Council can talk about the policies of the country as well as about the decisions of the Cabinet,” said Sri Lankan President.
Ranil Wickremesinghe took oaths as the 8th Executive President of Sri Lankaon Thursday 21 . He was sworn in before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya at the parliamentary complex.
Wickremesinghe, a six-time former prime minister had the backing of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), the largest bloc in the parliament.
He is thus qualified to hold the office of the President for the remaining term of the presidency, which was left vacant after his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa stepped down last week.
Wickremesinghe was appointed as the caretaker president, Rajapaksa fled the country on a military plane to the Maldives and then took a commercial flight to Singapore.
He has held the office of prime minister six times although he never completed a term. His latest and shortest term in office as the prime minister was when former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed him to the position on July 13 this year.
This appointment was made by him after his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa was forced to step down amidst growing public agitation over economic mismanagement and corruption allegations.
