COLOMBO – A seven-member committee appointed to investigate a fracas in Sri Lanka’s Parliament in April this year will submit a report of its findings to the Speaker next week, a Parliament statement said on Wednesday (30).
The incident involved government MPs who had allegedly tried to attack the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP, Harin Fernando, who had made a startling revelation about the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
The committee chaired by Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was appointed by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on April 23 to recommend measures to be taken to prevent a recurrence of such unruliness in the Parliament chamber and its premises.
The committee has considered the possible adverse effects of such incidents on the House and discussed short and long-term measures that can be taken to prevent a recurrence, the statement said.
A full report in this regard is to be submitted to the Speaker.
The committee comprises Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Keheliya Rambukwella, State Minister Susil Premajayantha, Members of Parliament Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Imtiaz Bakeer Marker, R. M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, and M. A. Sumanthiran.
The day of the incident, April 21, marked the second anniversary of the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 269 and injured over 500.
Government MPs were displaying placards in the lobby, accusing the previous government of being unable to prevent the attack. SJB lawmakers, led by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, meanwhile were dressed in black, demanding justice for the victims of the bombings. The SJB had repeatedly accused the government of delayed justice and lapses in its probe.
The chaos that followed was live-streamed by a number of MPs, both from the government and the opposition, leading to much public commentary and criticism.
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