Maiden Policy Statement from President RW on Aug. 3

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is to deliver his maiden Policy Statement in Parliament at 11 am on Wednesday (03), Parliament sources said.The President is scheduled to commence the Third Session of the Ninth Parliament at 10 am with his Presidential Policy Statement (previously Throne Speech).

The MPs have been requested to arrive at the parliamentary complex at 10 am the latest.The MPs, if accompanied by their spouses, will alight from their vehicles at the Staff Entrance of the parliamentary building, while all other MPs are requested to drive up to the Members’ Entrance.To facilitate orderly arrival, the MPs are requested that the car label provided be pasted on the inside top left-hand corner of the windscreen of their vehicles. On arrival at Parliament, Members’ vehicles would be directed by the Police to the appropriate car park.Thereafter the MPs are requested to enter the lobbies of Parliament and to remain there until the Quorum Bells are rung.

President Wickremesinghe is scheduled to arrive at the main steps of the Parliament building at 10.20 a.m. and he would be received by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and the Secretary-General of Parliament.The President will be escorted by them into the building. Thereafter, the Speaker and the Secretary-General of Parliament will escort the President to his Chambers.

At 10.25 a.m. the Quorum Bell will be rung for five minutes and all Members will take their seats in the Chamber of Parliament.

The President’s procession will leave for the Chamber of Parliament and will enter the Chamber at 10.30 am. On entering the Chamber the President’s arrival will be announced whereupon all Members will stand in their places until the President reaches the Chair and requests the Members to be seated.

Thereafter, the Proclamation proroguing the Parliament and Summoning the Meeting of Parliament will be read by the Secretary General of Parliament. Then, the President will address Parliament.

The gazette notification issued concluded the second session of the Ninth Parliament on Thursday (28) with effect from midnight.President Wickremesinghe prorogued Parliament in accordance with the powers vested in him with Article 70 (1) of the Constitution with effect from midnight Thursday (28) announcing that the third session of the Ninth Parliament will commence on Aug 3 at 10.30 am.

According to subsections (a) and (b) of Article 33 of the Constitution, after the end of one session of Parliament and a new session commences, the President has the opportunity to ceremonially declare open Parliament and preside over it to present the Government’s Policy Statement.

When the Parliament is prorogued, the questions and motions which were not considered up until then are abolished, and the MPs thus have to take it up in accordance with the standing orders. Furthermore, the Committees other than the Liaison Committee of Parliament, Committee on High Posts and Select Committees should be re constituted following the beginning of the new session.The second session of the Ninth Parliament continued from January 18, 2022 to July 28, 2022 under which the Parliament met for 48 days.