Rajapaksa appoints Acting Secretary for Sri Lankan parliament

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 March 2008, 17:54 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday appointed Dhammika Kitulgoda as the acting Secretary General of the Sri Lanka parliament which fell vacant with the retirement of Mrs. Priyani Wijesekara with effect from March 31 amid protest by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) that it would disrupt the proceedings of the parliament continuously if the post was not filled by the Constitutional Council appointed under the 17th amendment to the SL constitution, parliamentary sources said.

Dhammika Kitulgoda is currently holding the post of Secretary of the Constitutional Council. He is reported to have confirmed the appointment as acting SG with immediate effect in addition to his present post.

Dhammika Kitulgoda earlier held the post of Secretary General to the parliament before being appointed to the post of Secretary to the Constitution Council.

Meanwhile Ms Priyani Wijesekara who retired on Monday counting 18 years of service to the legislature in an interview to a Sunday English weekly said: "I most certainly see deterioration, When I first came here in 1992, things were orderly and members took the orders of the Chair in the proper spirit. Today, every time the Chair gives a decision, the person who does not agree with in resorts to indiscipline behaviour such as shouting and obstructing. But, I have noticed that the constitution itself is not receiving the due respect as the basic law of the land."