The Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena was sworn in as the new Speaker of Parliament today (20) before Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake.
Leader of the House and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena proposed Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s name for the post of Speaker, which was seconded by the Opposition MP and Secretary General of the Samagi Janabalavega, Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara.
They then escorted Hon. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to the Speaker's chair. Then he was sworn in as the new Speaker of Parliament today (20) before Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake.
After the Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake presented the Proclamation sent by H.E the President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to convene the Parliament following which the new Speaker was elected.
A brief bio of the new Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena
Born on 10th October, 1945 in Makandura, Matara, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is a senior politician with more than 30 years of experience. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena received his primary education from Thelijjavila Central College and Rahula College, Matara. He then obtained his first degree from the University of Colombo. He has also received specialized training in Management from the Institute of Management, Chandigarh in India.
He won the Hakmana by-election in 1983 and entered the Parliament for the first time representing the United National Party. He has been a Member of Parliament for 23 years. Mr. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, who contested from the Sri Lanka Podu Jana Peramuna for the Matara District in 2020 General Election, entered Parliament with 80,895 preferential votes.
He was the Chairman of the Southern Provincial Council during 1993/94 period and also served as the Chief Minister of the same Provincial Council from 1994 to 2001. He has also held a number of Ministries such as Health, Cultural Affairs and National Heritage, Irrigation and Rural Development, Industry and Commerce, Parliamentary Affairs and Agriculture.
He was also a member of the COPE Committee in 1987. Mr. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has also attended the Asian Parliament for Peace in Beijing, China in 2002, attended the 50th CPA Conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh and the 2005 International Parliamentary Conference in Fiji.
2026-08-14
Parliament’s Official Website Also Wins Gold Award for Best Government WebsiteThe official website of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, www.parliament.lk, recently won the Overall Silver Award for the Best Website Overall at the “BestWeb.lk 2026” Awards Ceremony.It is also noteworthy that the Parliament’s official website won the Gold Award in the “Best Government Website” category.The “BestWeb.lk 2026” Awards Ceremony, organized by the LK Domain Registry, was held on 12 August 2026 at the Monarch Imperial in Sri Jayawardenepura.More than 350 websites competed this year across 24 categories. The websites were evaluated based on a range of criteria, including technical implementation, performance, design, content, security, and other additional features.The Parliament’s official website has previously won awards at this competition on several occasions. This year’s participation is particularly significant as it marked the website’s return to the competition after a seven-year hiatus, following the launch of its revamped website.A large gathering of distinguished guests, experts, academics, as well as award winners and representatives of nominated websites, attended the awards ceremony. Mr. G. Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister, participated as the Chief Guest.This recognition reaffirms the Parliament’s continued commitment to strengthening its digital presence and providing Parliamentary information to the public through its official online platform in an accessible, reliable, and user-friendly manner.
2026-08-13
A special awareness programme on parliamentary procedure for students of the Department of Sociology of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura was conducted by the Department of Communication of the Parliament of Sri Lanka on 10 August 2026. The programme was held at Committee Room No. 02 of the Parliament premises.As part of the programme, Assistant Director (Administration) of the Department of Legislative Services, Mrs. Chandima Subasinghe, conducted a session on “Parliament and the Legislative Process.” The students were briefed on the role of Parliament, the legislative process and parliamentary procedure.Speaking at the programme, Prof. Rasanjali Perera, Head of the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, expressed her appreciation to the Department of Communication of the Parliament of Sri Lanka for organising such awareness programmes for university students.She noted that gaining first-hand knowledge of the functioning of Parliament and the legislative process was a valuable and important experience for the students.Prof. Perera further noted that such programmes provide students with an opportunity to gain a practical understanding of the theoretical knowledge they acquire through their academic studies. She also highlighted that these programmes make a significant contribution towards broadening students’ knowledge and enhancing their understanding of the parliamentary democratic process.At the conclusion of the programme, the students joined for a group photograph and also took part in a special guided tour of the Parliament premises.
2026-08-11
The Parliamentary business scheduled for the next sitting week, from 18 to 21 August 2026, has been decided.The decision was taken at the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business held recently, (7 August), under the chairmanship of Hon. Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne. Accordingly, on each of the four sitting days, the period from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for the Parliamentary business specified in Standing Order No. 22 (1) to (6). The period from 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. has been allocated for Questions for Oral Answers, while the period from 11.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. has been allocated for questions under Standing Order No. 27(2).Tuesday, 18 August 2026From 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., the House is scheduled to debate the Regulations published in Extraordinary Gazette No. 2496/38 under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, for approval.Thereafter, at 5.00 p.m., the National Photographic Art Society of Sri Lanka (Incorporation) Bil, a Private Member’s Bill, is scheduled to be referred to the Legislative Standing Committee following its Second Reading.From 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., an Adjournment Motion to be moved by the Opposition is scheduled to be taken up for debate.Wednesday, 19 August 2026From 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., the House is scheduled to debate a Resolution under the Finance Act. (Vide Item No. 3 scheduled for 18.08.2026 in the Addendum to the Order Book of Parliament, No. 4(4) issued on 07.08.2026).Thereafter, the period from 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. has been allocated for Questions at the Adjournment Time.Thursday, 20 August 2026From 11.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., the House is scheduled to hold the Second Reading Debate on the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children (Amendment) Bill.Thereafter, from 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., the Motion at the Adjournment Time to be moved by the Opposition is scheduled to be taken up for debate.Friday, 21 August 2026From 11.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., the House is scheduled to debate an Adjournment Motion to be moved by the Government.
2026-08-11
The Parliament of Sri Lanka is not only a place where the affairs of the nation are discussed and decisions are made. It is also a place where the younger generation can come, explore, learn, and experience democracy firsthand.Among the many beautiful sights often seen within the Parliament premises are the little ones—the young buds who will one day grow into the leaders of tomorrow. Surrounded by the beauty of Diyawanna Oya, they have the opportunity to see the Parliament with their own eyes and gain a new and memorable experience beyond what they learn from books.Every day, preschool and schoolchildren, university students, and visitors representing educational institutions from all corners of Sri Lanka come to Parliament to discover its work and heritage.These visits offer a special opportunity to transform textbook knowledge about the parliamentary system into a real-life experience. Beyond visiting the Chamber and the surrounding premises, visitors are introduced to the functions of Parliament, including the legislative process, in ways suited to their age groups and fields of study.Officers of the Public Outreach Section of the Department of Communication, together with other members of the Parliament staff, are committed to making these visits meaningful, informative, and engaging for every visitor.And there is much more to discover—the natural beauty surrounding Parliament, together with its outstanding architectural and artistic heritage, offers visitors a glimpse into the unique character and history of our Parliament.Visit… Experience … Discover… This is Your Parliament! Photographs:A group of children and teachers from Kiddie Cove Preschool and Day Care Centre during their visit to the Parliament of Sri Lanka on the 10th August 2026.
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