Mahanayake Theras laud Speaker appointment

Asela KURULUWANSA and Sanjaya ASELA MATURATA

The Most Ven Tibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter said that he was pleased to see an experienced gentleman politician in the calibre of Chamal Rajapaksa appointed as the Speaker of the new Parliament. He hoped that the new Speaker would act in an impartial manner in keeping with the dignity of his high office.

The Prelate said this in the course of an anusasana when Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa called on him at the Malwatte Viharaya in Kandy and received his blessings.

The Prelate said there were only a very few gentleman politicians in the country today. Everyone would accept that Chamal Rajapaksa was one of them.

Blessings of the Maha Sangha would always be with him to enable him perform his duties successfully with the assistance of all.

Then the Speaker called on the Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Thera at the Asgiriya Viharaya and received his blessings. The Asgiriya Prelate said the Speaker was a capable person who could exercise his duties in an impartial manner to the satisfaction of all parties. Being the elder brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa the new Speaker had a clear understanding about the President's vision for the country more than anyone else. He said raising the country to the highest pedestal in development would not be difficult if all parties shed their petty differences and assisted the Government in the national development efforts. Uplifting the indigenous ensuring would be easy if the agricultural sector was developed to the optimum level.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said he would carryout his functions in the new post impartially in keeping with its dignity. He said the Government is taking steps to asweddumise 30,000 acres of neglected paddy lands in the North which had remained fallow. Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa who later addressed a press conference in Kandy said he would act in a manner that would safeguard the rights of all Parliamentarians and ensure a responsible Parliament.

He would utilise his 21 years experience as a Government and opposition MP to fulfil this task. He expressed the hope that all MPs including those newly elected would assist him to maintain discipline within the Parliament.