Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday requested Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint a parliamentary Select Committee to study the proposed Counter-terrorism Act (CTA) and provide recommendations.  

Pointing out that the objections to the CTA were flowing in from different stakeholders, including civil society and other political parties, Rajapaksa had made the request from Wickremesinghe, a short statement released by the Opposition Leader’s Office said. 

Rajapaksa has been a vociferous opponent of the CTA, insisting it will be less effective than the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), and provides too many rights to people suspected of terror-related activities. He has backed keeping the PTA intact, and has accused the Government of pandering to the international community by proposing the CTA. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), of which Rajapaksa is the de-facto leader, has protested the CTA on the grounds that it could infringe on public rights, such as the right of workers to collectively protest.    

Unconditional support needed from all parties for CTA: PM