Daily Mirror - Print Edition

SJB MP Eran to head COPE

16 Aug 2022 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}      

  • It’s up to  the government to decide on a policy to give the chairmanship to members  of Opposition

By Yohan Perera 

While   confirming that the opposition groups in Parliament has nominated his  name as the new Chairman of Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE),  Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Eran Wickramaratne yesterday said it’s up to  the government to decide on a policy to give the chairmanship to members  of Opposition. 


Mr.  Wickramaratne was responding to the reports which said he had been  nominated as the Chairman of COPE and MP Kabir Hashim as the Chairman of  Committee on Public Accounts (COPA). 


“I am aware that our names have been nominated for the posts, final  decision has to be made by the government which have majority of  members in the two committees. There have been instances where government  adopted a policy of giving the chairmanships of the committee to the  opposition,” he told Daily Mirror. 


Meanwhile  Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena last week assured that opposition  members will be appointed as chairpersons of committees. He said this  when Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella made an inquiry in  Parliament.