Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Nalin Bandara announced that the opposition intends to nominate a candidate for the vacant Speaker post during the parliamentary sittings on Tuesday (17).
Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo today (15), Bandara expressed concerns over recent developments in Parliament and governance.
“Parliament will convene on Tuesday, and a new Speaker must be appointed. We aim to nominate someone who genuinely represents the opposition, not an individual with questionable credentials,” he said. While no specific names have been confirmed, Bandara revealed that the opposition will meet tomorrow (16) to finalise their decision.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, Nihal Galappaththi, and Laxman Nipunaarachchi are being considered by the government as potential candidates to succeed Asoka Ranwala, who resigned as Speaker on Friday (13).
As per the Constitution, the Speaker’s resignation must first be submitted in writing to the President, who then informs Parliament. Consequently, the first order of business during the 17 December sitting will be the election of a new Speaker.
According to Standing Order 4 of Parliament, if more than two candidates are nominated for the position, the Speaker will be elected through a secret ballot.
