PM: MPs appointed to parliament committees can elect chairpersons

By Saman Indrajith

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday told Parliament that the MPs appointed as members of parliamentary committees including the Committee on Public Finance (PFC), Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) and Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) could elect the Chairmen of the respective committees at their own will. 

 The Prime Minister said so while responding to a query raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on the Premier’s stance on the appointment of the chairman for the three committees. MP Premadasa made the query after the matter was brought up by SJB Kurunegala District MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha. 

 Jayamaha raising a point of order said that under standing order 103 the Speaker should appoint the chairman to each Special Committee. He said that it was the tradition in the Parliament to appoint chairman of the COPA and COPE from the Opposition. He queried if the newly elected Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena would follow the tradition.

The Speaker in response said that those committees mentioned by MP Jayamaha were not Special Committees.

MP Jayamaha:

At least would you follow the tradition in the Parliament?  

Speaker Abeywardena:

“They are not Select Committees. So, the Chairmen should be elected by the members of the respective committees. 

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said that following the British Parliamentary tradition, the chairmen of COPA, COPE and Committee on Public Finance (PFC) were appointed from the Opposition side members. “Would the same tradition be followed now?”  

Speaker Abeywardena observed that the matter could be decided at the Select Committee. 

The Opposition Leader queried what the stance of the Prime Minister Rajapaksa was on the issue.

Leader of the House and Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the stance of the Prime Minister was that the appointments should be made as instructed by the Speaker. Those Committees consisted of members not only from the government side but from the other parties in the opposition. So the Opposition Leader could not make decisions himself and he should consult others.

Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that he contested to be the Chairman of the PFC while he was in the opposition during the Good Governance government. He added that the post was not given to the opposition but to M. A. Sumanthiran. “That was the ground reality,” Minister Gunawardena said.     

State Minister Nimal Lanza said that the appointment of the Chairmen to the COPE, COPA and PFC was the right of their members. He asked the Opposition Leader to allow the MPs to exercise their right. 

 State Minister S. B. Dissanayake said that during the Good Governance government the chairman of COPA was Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna. The tradition had been breached by the Good Governance government. 

The Opposition Leader attempted to speak further on the matter but the Speaker prevented him doing so, stating that he would not allow wasting the time of the Parliament any more. 

“My query is if the tradition should be followed,” the Opposition Leader queried. 

Prime Minister Rajapaksa said that such a tradition as the Opposition Leader said had not been followed in Parliament. He added that at times the chairman position had been granted to the Opposition and sometimes to the government side.