MPs nominated to ‘National Council’

The Speaker yesterday announced to the Parliament the list of Members of Parliament who have been nominated for the ‘National Council’, which was established as per the proposal of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, consisting of members representing Parliament from the respective political parties. 

The Chief Government Whip presenting an amendment stated that the National Council will consist of the Speaker as the Chair, the Prime Minister, Leader of the House of Parliament, the Parliament Opposition Leader, the Chief Government Whip, the Chief Opposition Whip and not more than 35 Members of Parliament.

Members of Parliament nominated to the ‘National Council’ established are as below.

Douglas Devananda, Naseer Ahamed, Tiran Alles,  Sisira Jayakody, Sivanesathurai Santhirakanthan, Johnston Fernando, Rauff Hakeem, Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi, Wajira Abeywardana, A.L.M. Athaullah, Prof. Tissa Vitarana, Rishad Bathiudeen, Wimal Weerawansa,  Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Palani Thigambaram, Mano Ganesan, Udaya Gammanpila, Rohitha Abegunawardhana, Namal Rajapaksa, Jeevan Thondaman, G.G. Ponnambalam, Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero, Asanka Navarathna, Ali Sabri Raheem, C.V. Wigneswaran, Weerasumana Weerasinghe and Sagara Kariyawasam.

Since the names of a few other Parliamentarians are to be received, the announcement of such names has been scheduled for the near future.

The resolution proposed by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena to constitute the Parliamentary Committee called ‘National Council’ was passed in Parliament on 20 September 2022 without objection.

One of them is the determine the general priorities of Parliament to guide the formulation of short-, medium-, and long-term national policies, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said.

Another responsibility is to agree on short-term and medium-term common minimum programs related to economic stabilisation.

It is also tasked with organising special meetings with the Cabinet Ministers, National Council, Special Committees Chairperson and Youth Organisations Youth Observers. The ‘National Council’ also has the power to summon reports from the Sectoral Oversight Committees, the Committee on Public Finance, Committee on Public Accounts, Committee on Public Enterprises and any committee that controls the public finance.