SLPP nominee Ajith Rajapaksha elected deputy speaker
COLOMBO – Parliament on Tuesday (17) elected government MP Ajith Rajapaksha as its deputy speaker by a 31-vote majority amidst calls by several members for Parliament to unanimously agree on one nominee for the position instead of wasting valuable House time.
Rajapaksha received 109 votes, while his opponent, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Rohini Kaviratne Wijeratne, whose nomination was reportedly also approved by the newly appointed prime minister, received only 78 votes. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said 23 votes were rejected.
A number of MPs including former president Maithripala Sirisena and former ministers Wimal Weerwansa and Udaya Gammanpila and the former ruling coalition partner parties that now function independently in Parliament said they were spoiling their vote, with several MP’s claiming the vote was waste of parliament’s valuable time.
The newly elected deputy speaker, who represents the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), apologized for the time spent on his election and called for unity in Parliament.
The deputy speaker post was rendered vacant after MP Ranjith Siyambalapitiya resign from his post, shortly after being elected last week.
-ENCL