President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will present the new Government’s Policy Statement at a ceremonial sitting of the first session of the ninth Parliament on Thursday afternoon, the same day the newly-elected MPs will be sworn in. Parliament will meet at 9:30 a.m. on 20 August where the new Speaker will be appointed first, following which the MPs will take their oaths before him. His appointment was reported exclusively in the Daily FT on Monday 10 August. The Speaker will be sworn in by Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake in keeping with the Standing Orders of the House. Sittings will be suspended after this and will resume at 3 p.m. when the President will deliver the Statement of Government’s Policy as provided by Article 33(2) of the Constitution.
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s name has been confirmed for the post of Speaker by the Government, the Daily FT learns. He is likely to get the unanimous backing of the House.
The ceremonial sitting at which the President will address the House will be low key with the SG receiving him upon arrival at the Parliament building, followed by the hoisting of the Presidential Flag.
The President will deliver the Policy Statement from the Speaker’s Chair as has been the practice.
Meanwhile, more than 175 newly-elected Parliamentarians have submitted their personal details to the Parliament Secretariat through the ‘Online Registration System’ introduced two weeks ago.
S.G. Dasanayake said Parliament officials hoped to complete the registration process by today (15 August).
(FT)