Sri Lanka appoints parliamentary committee to study the 13th Amendment issue

The Speaker of Sri Lanka's parliament, Chamal Rajapaksa Friday appointed the members of the ruling party to the proposed parliamentary select committee (PSC) to study the issue of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

The Speaker appointed 19 members from the ruling United People's freedom Alliance (UPFA) and asked the opposition political parties also to name their representatives. Irrigation & Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva was appointed as the Chairman of the Committee. Other ruling party members appointed to the PSC are Ministers Prof. G L Peiris, Maithripala Sirisena, W D J Seneviratne, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Dinesh Gunawardena, Susil Premajayantha, Douglas Devananda, A L M Athaullah, D E W Gunasekara, Rishad Bathiyutheen, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Wimal Weerawansa, Basil Rajapaksa, Lakshman Seneviratne, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, and Janaka Bandara Tennakoon Deputy Minister Muthu Sivalingam, and MP Sudarshani Fernandopulle. Sri Lanka's Cabinet last week decided to appoint a PSC to discuss revisions to the 13th Amendment due to the divergent views of the coalition members over the 13th Amendment. The Cabinet was of the view that a PSC would give an opportunity for all parties to express their views on the 13th Amendment. Meanwhile Indian media reports say India's National Security Adviser, Shivshankar Menon will arrive in Sri Lanka on July 8 to discuss the 13th Amendment introduced to Sri Lanka's Constitution. However Sri Lanka says Menon will be here on an earlier scheduled visit to participate in the Trilateral Maritime Security Conference.