Parliament will convene today at 9:30 a.m., under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Dr. Mohammed Rizvi Sally, to elect a new Speaker following the resignation of former Speaker Ashoka Sapumal Ranwala. Ranwala, who served as Speaker of the Tenth Parliament, recently stepped down, and his resignation was formally accepted by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The main agenda for today’s session is the appointment of the new Speaker. Members nominated from the National List of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will also take their oaths before the Speaker’s election.
If only one candidate is nominated for the Speaker position, they will be appointed unopposed. However, in the event of multiple nominations, Parliament will conduct a secret vote to determine the new Speaker.
According to reports, several public representatives have been nominated by the National People’s Power (NPP) for the position. These include Deputy Speaker Dr. Mohammed Rizvi Sally, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi, and Nihal Galappaththi.
Meanwhile, the SJB has also announced its intention to nominate a candidate. Party sources reveal that MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna will be their proposed candidate for the post.
The election of the Speaker is expected to be a significant moment in shaping the direction of the current parliamentary session.
