President, MPs mourn departed colleague

Uditha KUMARASINGHE

KOTTE: The remains of Highways and Road Development Minister and Chief Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle were brought to Parliament around 10.30 am yesterday for Members to pay their last respects.

The remains were conveyed to the Parliament building on the red carpet watched by grief stricken MPs of the Government and the Opposition who mourned their fallen colleague, a popular figure among their lot.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara were among the mourners who paid their last respects to their departed stalwart who never allowed political differences to stand in the way of personal rapport and amity.

A large number of journalists also converged at Parliament to pay their last respects to the Minister who always maintained a close relationship with journalists of State and private media institutions.

Government Ministers and Opposition politicians expressed their profound sorrow on the sudden demise of Minister Fernandopulle who was an outstanding political figure among the people of the entire country, elected by voters of Gampaha District.

Most Government Ministers who gathered at Parliament described his sudden demise as an irreparable loss to both the Government and the SLFP especially as the Chief Government Whip who displayed rare intellectual brilliance and dynamic linguistic skills to maintain the dignity and decorum of the House.

After the Parliamentarians paid their last respects to their beloved friend and colleague, the remains were taken to his residence in Katana in a motorcade around 12.30 pm.