Committee makes recommendations to prevent recurrence of similar situations

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena receiving the report on the April 21, 2021,incidents in Parliament (Pic courtesy Communication Department)

April 21, 2021 incidents in Parliament:

A parliamentary committee that inquired into incidents in Parliament on April 21, 2021, has proposed a series of measures to prevent recurrence of similar incidents. The Committee handed over its report to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday (6). Chairperson of the Committee Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that short-term and long-term measures that could be taken to prevent such incidents in the future had also been included in the report.

The following is the text of a statement issued by the Parliament’s Department of Communication yesterday: “The report of the Committee appointed to look into the incidents that took place in Parliament chamber, and its premises, on April 21, 2021 was handed over to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena by the Chairperson of the Committee, Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya today (06).

Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa and MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa who served as members of the Committee and the Secretary to the Committee, Assistant Secretary General of Parliament Tikiri Jayathilake were also present at the occasion.

While claiming that the Committee has considered at length the possible adverse effects of such incidents on the entire Parliament, the Chairperson of the Committee Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that short-term and long-term measures that can be taken to prevent such incidents in the future have also been included in the report.

This Committee was appointed by the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on 23rd April to recommend necessary steps that should be taken to prevent a recurrence of the situation similar to that which occurred on 21st April.

Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Keheliya Rambukwella, State Minister Susil Premajayantha, Members of Parliament Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Imtiaz Bakeer Marker, R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara and M.A Sumanthiran were members of the Committee.”