New Secretary General of Parliament
The Parliamentary Council has approved the nomination sent by
President Mahinda Rajapaksa to appoint Deputy Secretary General of
Parliament Dhammika Dasanayaka as the Secretary General of Parliament.
The appointment has been approved under article 41 A (8) of the
constitution by the Parliamentary Council which met under the
chairmanship of the speaker in parliament on February 8.
Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne and his nominee, A.H.M. Azwer, MP too
attended.
In terms of Article 41A(1) of the Constitution, the Parliamentary
Council comprises of the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the
Opposition, a nominee of the Prime Minister and a nominee of the Leader
of the Opposition. A.H.M. Azwer is the nominee of PM while D.M.
Swaminaithan, nominee of Leader of the Opposition has not attended any
meetings so far. Dhammika Dasanayake is an LL.B Graduate from the
Colombo University and an Attorney-at-law by profession and has worked
in the Foreign Employment Bureau since 1988 and as a State Counsel in
the Attorney-General's Department since 1989.
He was appointed as the Assistant Secretary General of Parliament in
1994 and appointed as the Deputy Secretary General of Parliament in
2003, he has more than 18 years of experience in Parliament and related
fields. He is well acquainted with all matters connected with Parliament
in all related fields. He has held many positions in the Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association, Inter parliamentary Union and functioned as
an advisor in many projects under the United Nations Development
Programme. He was an advisor in Parliamentary matters in the Board
appointed by the UN in reorganization, strengthening and capacity
building of the Afghanistan Parliament after the war, and respected by
all in Parliament as an excellent officer to hold this prestigious
position.
The Speaker has also decided to appoint present Assistant Secretary
General Neil Iddawala to the post of Deputy Secretary General of
Parliament that will fall vacant with this appointment. Iddawala is an
LL.B graduate from the Colombo University and an Attorney-at-Law by
profession. He has worked in the Textile Corporation in 1988. He has
practiced as an Attorney-at-Law from 1988 to 1994. He joined the
judiciary in 1994 and has functioned as Additional District Judge and
District Judge up to 2003. Iddawala was appointed Assistant Secretary
General of Parliament in 2003 and has experience and knowledge in all
Parliament matters after having worked overseeing all divisions of
Parliament efficiently.
|
