A group of Parliamentarians have submitted a letter to the Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena requesting him to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate incidents of infringement of privileges of the Members of Parliament.
The letter cites the appointment of the Elections Commission consisting of five members on December 3, 2020, and their responsibility to Parliament under Article 1048 (3) of the Constitution.
The letter also mentions that the Commission has failed to report to Parliament on issues related to the Local Government elections and have failed to satisfy themselves on all preconditions to hold such an election.The letter states that if the privileges of the Members of Parliament and of the Parliament have been infringed, it should be investigated and suitable recommendations should be made.
The Parliament has resolved that a Select Committee of Parliament be appointed to investigate the issue and make recommendations.
The Chair and Members of the Committee will be appointed by the Speaker and the Committee will consist of seven members as per the provisions of Standing Order 101 of Parliament.
The Committee has the power to fix its quorum, summon any person to appear before it, require any person to produce any document or record, receive evidence, obtain the services of specialists and experts in relevant fields, and make interim reports from time to time.
The Committee is expected to present its report to Parliament within a period of one month from the first meeting of the Committee or within such further period as Parliament may grant.
Fourteen Parliamentarians including Milan Jayathilaka, Sahan Pradeep, Sudarshana Denpitiya, Kokila Gunawardena, Thissa Kuttiarachchi and Upul Rajapaksa have signed.
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