The Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena was sworn in as the new Speaker of Parliament today (20) before Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake.
Leader of the House and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena proposed Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s name for the post of Speaker, which was seconded by the Opposition MP and Secretary General of the Samagi Janabalavega, Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara.
They then escorted Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to the Speaker's chair. Then he was sworn in as the new Speaker of Parliament today (20) before Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake.
After the Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake presented the Proclamation sent by H.E the President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to convene the Parliament following which the new Speaker was elected.
A brief bio of the new Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena
Born on 10th October, 1945 in Makandura, Matara, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is a senior politician with more than 30 years of experience. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena received his primary education from Thelijjavila Central College and Rahula College, Matara. He then obtained his first degree from the University of Colombo. He has also received specialized training in Management from the Institute of Management, Chandigarh in India.
He won the Hakmana by-election in 1983 and entered the Parliament for the first time representing the United National Party. He has been a Member of Parliament for 23 years. Mr. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, who contested from the Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna for the Matara District in 2020 General Election, entered Parliament with 80,895 preferential votes.
He was the Chairman of the Southern Provincial Council during 1993/94 period and also served as the Chief Minister of the same Provincial Council from 1994 to 2001. He has also held a number of Ministries such as Health, Cultural Affairs and National Heritage, Irrigation and Rural Development, Industry and Commerce, Parliamentary Affairs and Agriculture.
He was also a member of the COPE Committee in 1987. Mr. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has also attended the Asian Parliament for Peace in Beijing, China in 2002, attended the 50th CPA Conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh and the 2005 International Parliamentary Conference in Fiji.
2026-09-25
Speaker also Endorses the Judicature (Amendment) BillHon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne today (Sep. 25) endorsed the certificate on the Twenty Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill.The Second Reading debate on the Twenty Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill was held in Parliament yesterday (24) and today, following which the Bill was passed with a special majority in Parliament.The Bill provides for increasing the retirement age of Supreme Court Judges from 65 to 67 years, and the retirement age of Court of Appeal Judges from 63 to 65 years.It also proposes to amend Article 137 of the Constitution to increase the number of judges of the Court of Appeal from 19 to 24. Accordingly, the establishment and operation of regional Courts of Appeal is expected to facilitate the expeditious disposal of pending cases and reduce the need for parties to cases to travel to Colombo.Accordingly, the Constitutional Amendment Bill will come into force as the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution.Meanwhile, Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne also endorsed his certificate today on the Judicature (Amendment) Bill.The Second Reading debate on the Bill was held in Parliament yesterday (24) and today, following which the Bill was passed by a majority of votes in Parliament today.The amendment increases the retirement age of High Court Judges from 61 to 63 years, and the retirement age of District Judges and Magistrates from 60 to 62 years.Furthermore, by amending Section 4 of the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, the Bill provides for increasing the maximum number of High Court Judges from 110 to 120, enabling the establishment of additional Provincial High Courts and Provincial Civil Appellate High Courts.Accordingly, the Judicature (Amendment) Bill will come into force as the Judicature (Amendment) Act, No. 23 of 2026.
2026-09-25
Judicature (Amendment) Bill also Passed with a MajorityThe Twenty Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill was passed with a special majority in Parliament today (Sep. 25).The division on the Second Reading of the Bill commenced at 7.13 p.m., with 158 votes in favour and 63 votes against. Accordingly, the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill was passed by a special majority in Parliament.Thereafter, the amendments introduced to Clause 2 at the Committee Stage were also passed by a special majority in Parliament, receiving 158 votes in favour and 63 votes against.At the Third Reading of the Bill, 158 votes were cast in favour and 63 votes against. Accordingly, the Third Reading of the Bill was passed with a special majority in Parliament.Meanwhile, the Judicature (Amendment) Bill was also passed with a majority in Parliament today.The division on the Second Reading of the Bill commenced at 7.53 p.m., with 158 votes in favour and 63 votes against.At the division on the Third Reading of the Bill, 158 votes were cast in favour and 62 votes against. Accordingly, the Judicature (Amendment) Bill was passed at the Third Reading in Parliament without amendments, by a majority of 95 votes.The Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill were presented to Parliament for First Readings by the Minister of Justice and National Integration on 18 August 2026.The Second Reading debates on both Bills were held in Parliament yesterday (24) and today (25).
2026-09-25
A delegation from the European Parliament visited the Parliament of Sri Lanka on 24th September 2026 and held a series of meetings with the Hon. Speaker of Parliament, the Hon. Deputy Speaker, and the Hon. Members of Parliament representing both the Government and the Opposition.The delegation was led by Prof. Sven Simon, Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO). The delegation also comprised Mr. Ralf Seekatz, Member of the European Parliament; Mr. Benjamin Oppermann, Policy Adviser on Foreign Affairs and Security and Defence of the European People’s Party (EPP) Group; Mr. Jonas Nitschke, Policy Adviser, Regional Programme Political Dialogue Asia, KAS Singapore; Mr. Sven Nicolay, Programme Manager, Multinational Development Policy Dialogue, KAS Brussels; Mr. C. A. Hettiarachchi, Attorney-at-Law, Registrar and Director, IDAG; and Mr. S. Wimalagunarathna, Programme Consultant, IDAG.The delegation was welcomed by the Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, who emphasized the importance of further strengthening the partnership and Parliamentary cooperation between the Parliament of Sri Lanka and the European Parliament. The Secretary General of Parliament, Ms. Kushani Rohanadeera, was also present at this meeting.During the meeting, the Hon. Speaker recalled the recent high-level exchanges between Sri Lanka and the European Union and expressed appreciation for the continued engagement under the EU GSP+ framework, which has contributed to Sri Lanka’s socio-economic development and its efforts to uphold international standards.He also briefed the delegation on measures taken by Sri Lanka in areas including the maintenance of law and order, combating corruption, advancing the reconciliation process, safeguarding human rights, increasing women’s representation in decision-making, and the establishment of mechanisms to further promote women’s rights. He further highlighted efforts towards greater inclusivity, including measures addressing the needs and rights of persons with disabilities. The European Parliament delegation expressed its appreciation for the warm welcome and hospitality extended by the Parliament of Sri Lanka and engaged in a cordial exchange of views on Sri Lanka’s political and social context, democratic institutions, ongoing developments and constitutional reform. The delegation also met with the Hon. Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih and held cordial discussions on the constitutional amendment process, Sri Lanka’s political system and the country’s socio-economic situation.The Hon. Deputy Speaker expressed appreciation for the continued support and engagement extended by the European Parliament and the European Union towards Sri Lanka, noting the importance of such cooperation in supporting the socio-economic advancement and well-being of the people of Sri Lanka.The delegation subsequently held separate discussions with the Hon. Members of Parliament representing the Government and the Opposition. The Opposition Members of Parliament included Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, and Hon. Dr. Kavida Jayawardena, while Hon. Chandima Hettiarachchi participated in discussions representing the Government. Hon. Champika Hettiarachchi, was also present at the meeting with Hon. Chandima Hettiarachchi.The discussions focused on Sri Lanka’s prevailing political and socio-economic context, challenges facing the country, the background to the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution, and matters relating to the strengthening of democratic institutions and processes.During their visit, the Members of the European Parliament delegation also observed Parliamentary proceedings from the Hon. Speaker’s Gallery. The Hon. Speaker welcomed the delegation to Parliament by making an announcement in the House.The visit also included a guided tour of the Parliament premises, providing the delegation with an opportunity to learn more about the traditions and functions of Parliament of Sri Lanka.
2026-09-24
H.E Khaled Nasser Al Ameri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Sri Lanka, paid a courtesy call on the Hon. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Dr. Rizvie Salih on 23rd September at the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Secretary General of Parliament Ms. Kushani Rohanadeera was also present at the meeting.Welcoming the UAE Ambassador, the Deputy Speaker reaffirmed the longstanding and cordial bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. He expressed his appreciation for the support extended by the UAE to Sri Lanka, particularly the economic contribution arising from the large Sri Lankan workforce employed in the UAE.The Deputy Speaker also welcomed the increase in the number of tourists travelling from the UAE to Sri Lanka and emphasized the importance of further strengthening cooperation in the tourism sector between the two countries.He further stated that the Sri Lanka - UAE Parliamentary Friendship Association is expected to be revived in the Tenth Parliament, with the objective of further strengthening Parliamentary relations and expanding cooperation across various sectors.Ambassador Khaled Nasser Al Ameri expressed his appreciation for the contribution of Sri Lankan workers to the economies of both countries. He noted that the Sri Lankan workforce in the UAE is highly valued and appreciated for being skilled, peaceful and respectful. The Ambassador also highlighted the strong trade relations between Sri Lanka and the UAE, as well as the importance of strong air connectivity between the two countries. He appreciated Sri Lanka’s natural beauty, social values and cultural richness. The discussion also focused on further enhancing cooperation in education and higher education for the mutual benefit of both countries. Attention was also drawn to the ongoing UAE–India–Sri Lanka tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at developing Trincomalee as a regional energy hub, as well as opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the field of security.The Ambassador commended the hospitality of the Sri Lankan people and their warm and welcoming nature, noting the friendliness and smiles of the people as among Sri Lanka’s valued attributes. He reaffirmed that the UAE would continue to extend its support to Sri Lanka as a close and trusted friend.
Handbook of Parliament
The System of Elections in Sri Lanka
How Parliament Works
Business of Parliament
Copyright © The Parliament of Sri Lanka.
All Rights Reserved.
Design & Developed by TekGeeks
