• Plans to raise the matter at the next Parliamentary Business Committee session

Opposition political parties are awaiting the next session of the Committee on Parliamentary Business to discuss the progress of the work related to providing security for Members of Parliament (MPs).

Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunathillaka told The Daily Morning that following the recent meeting between Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, several SJB and Opposition MPs, Speaker of Parliament Jagath Wickramaratne and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya, a report had been sent by the Speaker to the IGP.

“We hope to discuss the progress of the related work during the next session of the Committee on Parliamentary Business. This is a very important matter. The related work should be completed soon,” he said.

Following the meeting held on 31 October and chaired by the Speaker, the IGP clarified that the provision of security to MPs and Local Government members would not be automatic or uniform, and that all allocations would depend on individual threat assessments.

He rejected media reports claiming that all MPs who requested security would receive it, explaining that such protection would only be granted when a credible threat was identified through the intelligence process. The session was convened at the request of Opposition parties including the SJB, following the recent assassination of Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairperson Lasantha Wickramasekara.

The Opposition has consistently criticised the Government’s decision to scale down personal security for legislators under its fiscal restraint measures.