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2026-08-13
News Categories : News
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.
2026-08-14
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.
2026-08-11
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.
2026-08-07
Speaker holds discussions with representatives of the Max Planck Foundation at ParliamentPlans underway to convert the Speaker's Official Residence into Parliament's Tenth DepartmentHon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne held a special discussion yesterday (Aug. 06) with representatives of the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law at the Parliament premises on the next steps towards establishing the proposed Parliamentary Research and Studies Centre of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.Representing the Max Planck Foundation, which serves as a development partner to the Parliament of Sri Lanka, were Mr. Johannes Krusemark, Managing Director; Ms. Hayley Nicole Evans, Senior Research Officer; and Ms. Ruwini Perera, Legal Adviser.During the meeting, the Foundation formally presented to the Hon. Speaker a project proposal prepared for the establishment of the proposed Parliamentary Research and Studies Centre.Addressing the discussion, the Hon. Speaker stated that plans are underway to convert the Speaker's Official Residence into the proposed Parliamentary Research and Studies Centre and establish it as the tenth department of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.The Hon. Speaker emphasized that the principal objectives of establishing the Centre are to:• Provide training for all elected representatives, including Members of Parliament, Provincial Council Members and Local Government representatives, to strengthen their role as policymakers;• Provide opportunities for policy research and analysis;• Obtain public views on legislation enacted by Parliament and conduct post-legislative scrutiny to assess the effectiveness and practical impact of laws already enacted• facilitate the participation of researchers and members of the academic community in this process.The Hon. Speaker further observed that, in developing the proposal, further study should be undertaken of Parliamentary research institutions operating within the Lok Sabha of India and the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster. He also expressed his appreciation to the Max Planck Foundation for its support as a resource partner in establishing the proposed institution.Representatives of the Max Planck Foundation stated that the Foundation stands ready to extend its fullest support towards the establishment of the proposed Parliamentary Research and Studies Centre.Mr. Jayalath Perera, Director of Legislative Services of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and Chairman of the Committee appointed for the project, stated that the Committee expects to finalize and submit its project proposal within the next two weeks. He further noted that the proposals and recommendations submitted by the Max Planck Foundation would be duly considered during that process and expressed his appreciation to the Foundation for its valuable contribution.The other members of the Committee are Ms. Kanthi Pieris, Director of Administration of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, and Mr. Sarath Kumara, Director of Finance of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.Mr. Chameera Gallage, Private Secretary to the Hon. Speaker, and Mr. Janaka Mahesh Athapaththu, Coordinating Secretary to the Hon. Speaker were also present at the meeting.
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