Battle today in P’ment for key Committee

•  House to decide Selection Committee members today
•  Party leaders meeting today at 9 a.m. to finalise 12-member Selection Committee composition
• Sixteen nominated to 12-member committee; UPFA – 7, UNF – 5, JVP and TNA – 2 each
• Opponents say UPFA can’t have majority in Committee without parliamentary majority
• Public and VIP galleries will remain closed today too, but no restrictions on media coverage

​Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has scheduled a party leaders meeting at 9 a.m. today, ahead of what is expected to be another contentious day of parliamentary sittings.

Official sources said the composition of the 12-member Committee of Selection will be discussed at the meeting, and it’s likely the Speaker will make a decision on whom to name to the Committee after the meeting and announce it to the House.

The UPFA is demanding seven slots in the Committee but this has been hotly contested by the other parties who say that without majority in the House, the UPFA cannot get the majority of seats on this all-important committee which is empowered to nominate members to committees such as the Committee on Parliamentary Business, which decides on the agenda of the House, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), the Committee on Public Account (COPA), etc.

The Selection Committee also considers the numbers, functions and constitution (including quorum) of Consultative Committees, and nominates members to serve on them.

The UPFA informed the Secretary-General of Parliament on Wednesday that they have nominated seven members to serve on the Committee of Selection, including Dinesh Gunawardena, S.B. Dissanayaka, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Nimal Siripala De Silva, Thilanga Sumathipala, Wimal Weerawansa, and Udaya Gammanpila.

The JVP has nominated Vijitha Herath and Nalinda Jayatissa while the TNA has nominated Mavai Senathirajah and Dharmalingam Siddarthan. 

The UNP/UNF has nominated MPs Rauff Hakeem, Lakshman Kiriella, Rishad Bathiudeen, Patali Champika Ranawaka, and Mano Ganesan.

“Parliament Secretary-General has clearly said that they do not have a majority in Parliament, which means they cannot have a majority in the Parliament Selection Committee. UPFA won’t get to appoint seven members to the 12-member committee,” UNP MP Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.

“The composition of this Committee depends on the participation of the MPs. Since we have 122, we will have majority seats,” he added.

The Committee of Selection is chaired by the Speaker, and its members usually consist of leaders of political parties or their nominees, and is constituted at the commencement of a new session of the House.

The Committee of Selection, before the prorogation, comprised Karu Jayasuriya (Chairman), Rauff Hakeem, Lakshman Kiriella, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Rishad Bathiudeen, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Mano Ganesan, Dinesh Gunawardena, Douglas Devananda, Vijitha Herath, Mavai S. Senathirajah, Dharmalingam Siddarthan and (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa.

Meanwhile, the public galleries and the VIP gallery in Parliament will remain closed today, but the media will be able to access proceedings, including live telecasting, officials said. Sittings will commence at 10.30 a.m.