In a special statement to the House this morning (20), Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced that no outsiders would be allowed to enter meeting rooms during parliamentary select committee meetings.
Abeywardena emphasized that attendance is restricted to committee members, other MPs with proper approval from the committee’s chairman, and officials of external institutions summoned before the committees. To allow an outsider to attend any Parliamentary Select Committee meeting, prior written approval from the Speaker is mandatory.
The Speaker, acknowledging instances of committee chairpersons exceeding their scope of work, stressed that all committee chairpersons must adhere to parliamentary standing orders, preserving the long-standing traditions of the Parliament.
Furthermore, he insisted that press releases should only include matters approved by the relevant committees. It is crucial to ensure that government officials from various ministries, departments, and bodies called before the committees are not inconvenienced.
The Speaker also affirmed that official letterheads should not be used for personal or political purposes under any circumstances.
This statement by the Speaker follows the recent controversy surrounding the participation of Kanishka Bandara, the son of COPE chairman Prof. Ranjith Bandara, in a Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) meeting with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials.
