Karu tipped to be Speaker

21 August 2015 02:14 am

Former minister Karu Jayasuriya is tipped to be appointed Speaker of the new parliament, on a decision of the United National Party (UNP).

Mr. Jayasuriya’s name is to be proposed at the inaugural session of the new parliament on September 1, by Prime Minister elect Ranil Wickremesinghe -- who believes that all parties would agree to this proposal.

Mr. Jayasuriya’s name was on the National List. He will first be sworn in as MP.

Jayasuriya served in the Commission for Privatisation during the presidential tenure of J.R. Jayewardene. He was appointed chairman of the UNP in 1994. He was elected to parliament for the first time in 2000. He had functioned as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Austria and Switzerland prior to his entering politics. (Anjula Mahika Weeraratne)