Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa questioned the government on Monday (29) about the delay in appointing Chairmen for the two Parliament Watchdogs, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA).
“When the President was Prime Minister, he accepted on multiple occasions that MPs Harsha De Silva, Kabir Hashim, and Eran Wickramaratne be appointed to COPF, COPE, and COPA,” Premadasa said, questioning why the MPs had not been appointed to those committees as promised.
Harsha de Silva, an SJB MP, has already been appointed chair of the Public Finance Committee.
Opposition leaders Premadasa and Lakshman Kiriella questioned whether standing orders in parliament would be suspended in order to make the appointments.
Susil Premajayantha, Leader of the House and Education Minister, proposed that an agreement be reached on the matter at the next meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business, which is chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, who is currently out of the country.
MP Kiriella, on the other hand, stated that a ruling party Member of Parliament stated that promises made during the Aragalaya are not valid.
