• Dayasiri, Charitha Herath, Marikkar, Rasamanickam, Hesha, Gamini Waleboda follow Eran in resigning from COPE

Opposition Parliamentarians Dayasiri Jayasekara, Prof. Charitha Herath, S.M. Marikkar, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, Hesha Withanage, and Gamini Waleboda have decided to resign from the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), bringing the total number of Opposition MPs to quit the Parliamentary Committee thus far to seven. 

It is understood that Sri Lanka Freedom Party MP Jayasekara has forwarded his letter of resignation to the Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana. 

In a post on the social media platform X, former COPE Chairperson and incumbent Freedom People’s Congress member, Prof. Herath said that he had officially communicated his decision to the Speaker yesterday (19).

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Marikkar also announced his decision to step down yesterday while Tamil National Alliance MP Rasamanickam and SJB MP Hesha Withanage, along with Supreme Lanka Coalition member Waleboda too resigned yesterday.

Their resignations came a day after SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne resigned from his position as a COPE member. Wickramaratne announced his decision to resign on Monday (18) and in his letter of resignation explained that no credible action had been taken on those who were found to have been complicit in corrupt practices or mismanagement despite the COPE reports submitted to the Parliament time and time again. He also took issue with the appointment of Ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Government MP Rohitha Abeygunawardana as the COPE Chairperson despite the previous Government adopting a practice of appointing an Opposition MP to Chair the Committee to strengthen the principle that the Legislature must be a check and balance on the Executive arm of the Government. In addition, Wickramaratne highlighted that it is dissatisfying that members who have been appointed to the COPE have allegations against their personal conduct, particularly on financial transactions, adding that this also contributes to the citizen’s loss of confidence in the Parliament.