Speaker says Sovereignty of Parliament will not be allowed to be violated

• Two persons from  USAID and Transparency International were employed by Parliament before 2019
•  Person from USAID was paid by Parliament

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana   

No room will be left for any foreign organisation to  violate sovereignty of Parliament, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene said  last week.  

  Speaker Abeywardene came up with this remark in response to  a national list MP Gevidu Cumaratunga who charged that two persons from  USAID and Transparency International had been employed by Parliament  prior to 2019.   

“Salary for the person from USAID was paid by Parliament.  However the former speaker had stopped this when the question was raised by  the then opposition MP Dinesh Gunawardena. However the previous  government had paid salaries to this person thereafter. Also it is  questionable as to how these foreign organisations organise workshops to  the lobby reporters” Mr. Cumaratunga said.   

“ It was the USAID which has also played a role in organising the recent workshop held for the new MPs” he added.   

Also he said the Secretary General of Parliament had  informed him that USAID had played a role in developing the  communication section of the House.