Parliament to be prorogued till January 3

• Special PSCs, Sectoral Oversight and High-Post Committees unaffected by prorogation

By Kelum Bandara 

Parliament was to be prorogued by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday for one month till January 3, Daily Mirror learns.  

Accordingly, the session which was scheduled for today will not be conducted. The ceremonial opening of the next session of the present Parliament will take place on January 3 with President Rajapaksa making his maiden speech to the House. 

With the prorogation, parliamentary bodies such as Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) and Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) will lapse. Members have to be appointed to these bodies afresh after the new session commences. Also, the business currently pending on the Order Paper will lapse. Only sectoral oversight committees, the High-Post Committee and special parliamentary select committees remain unaffected by prorogation. The President has the power to prorogue Parliament in terms of the Constitution. Also, the President will have the power to dissolve the House at any time after March 1, 2020.   

• With prorogation, COPA and COPE will lapse