PARLIAMENT

Under Article 33(a) of the Constitution, the President is empowered to present the Government’s Policy Statement at the commencement of each new session of Parliament. According to Article 33(b) of the Constitution, the President is also vested with the power to preside over the ceremonial sittings of Parliament.

Accordingly, at the beginning of every new session of Parliament, it is the President who presents the Government’s Policy Statement. Through this address, the President elaborates on the government’s future vision, presenting detailed policy outlines to both Parliament and the public. Historically, this address was referred to as the “Throne Speech” and was delivered by the Governor-General.

The first parliamentary session of the House of Representatives was held on October 14, 1947. It was ceremonially inaugurated by Governor Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore, who delivered the Throne Speech. The Parliament later took into debate the speech and the address of thanks regarding the speech was passed.

Furthermore, under Article 70(1) of the Constitution, the President holds the authority to prorogue Parliament. Upon prorogation, all activities in Parliament, except for any pending impeachments, are temporarily suspended. After such a prorogation, the new session is typically ceremonially opened, during which the President presents the Government’s Policy Statement. It is noteworthy that the third session of the second Parliament (House of Representatives) was ceremonially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on April 12, 1954. On this occasion, the Queen delivered the Throne Speech, although no subsequent debate on this address was held.

With the enactment of the 1978 Constitution, the practice of the President delivering the Government’s Policy Statement in place of the Throne Speech commenced at the opening of new parliamentary sessions. In the present context, such a statement is typically not followed by a debate or vote.

The inaugural meeting of the first Parliament under the 1978 Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was ceremonially opened by President J.R. Jayewardene on September 7, 1978, during which he delivered the Government’s Policy Statement to Parliament for the first time.

Over time, there have been occasions where the ceremonial openings of Parliament were conducted with or without grandeur. Instances have also been recorded where the President did not present the Government’s Policy Statement at the opening new Parliament. On one occasion, a debate on the Policy Statement delivered by the President did take place. Following the ceremonial opening of the Ninth Parliament on August 20, 2020, then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Policy Statement was debated on August 21, 2020, without a subsequent vote.

From the first Parliament established under the 1978 Constitution until the dissolution of the Ninth Parliament on September 24, 2024, ceremonial sessions and the presentation of Government’s Policy Statements have followed various formats, are outlined below.