The Parliament of Sri Lanka marked a major milestone on 5th October with the official opening of its newly established Translation Unit.
Established with the aim of providing the necessary facilities to handle the translation work of the Parliament more efficiently, this Unit was declared open by Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, Secretary-General of Parliament. Speaking at the event, the Secretary-General of Parliament noted that sound leadership as well as collective unity are essential for the progress of any institution. Stating that the Parliamentary Secretariat always stands for the well-being, job security, and professional advancement of all its employees, she emphasized that the staff is the most valuable asset of the Parliament in ensuring its smooth functioning. Further, the Secretary-General expressed great pleasure about how the interpreters have actively taken the lead and played a driving role in bringing this initiative to fruition despite that this new unit was opened for translators.
Mr. Hansa Abeyratne, Assistant Secretary-General of Parliament, Mr. Jayalath Perera, Director - Legislative Services, and Heads of Departments and other senior officers of Parliament were also present at the occasion.
Delivering the welcome address, Mr. Jayalath Perera, Director - Legislative Services, mentioned that in addition to providing interpreting services, the Interpreters’ Office undertakes a large volume of written translation work. He added that, despite this workload, no office in Parliament has ever raised a complaint regarding delays in translation work.
The concept of establishing a separate Translation Unit to handle parliamentary translation work was submitted to the Secretary-General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, by the Chief Parliamentary Interpreter, Mr. C. J. Karunarathna. It became a reality with the full support of the Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretary-General. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Karunarathna, Chief Parliamentary Interpreter, expressed deep appreciation for the support extended by the Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretary-General in upgrading the physical infrastructure of the Interpreters’ Office and providing training opportunities to parliamentary interpreters to enhance the quality of interpretation.
The establishment of this unit aims to create a better professional environment for translators in Parliament and to better meet the translation requirements of the institution.
During the event, the Translators’ Anthem and the Code of Ethics for Interpreters were presented to the Secretary-General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, and the Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Hansa Abeyratne. Certificates were also awarded to newly appointed interpreters and translators who successfully completed the training programme conducted by the Interpreters’ Office.
Additionally, mementos were presented to the Secretary-General of Parliament and the Assistant Secretary-General to mark the establishment of the Translation Unit.
Meanwhile, the commemoration of International Translation Day 2026, which fell on September 30th, was also held concurrently under the patronage of the Assistant Secretary-General of Parliament, Mr. Hansa Abeyratne. This year’s International Translation Day was commemorated under the theme "Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights" along with the sub-theme "The Power of Being Understood."
The event highlighted the crucial role that interpretation and translation play in fostering communication and mutual understanding across diverse languages and cultures.
Former Deputy Chief Parliamentary Interpreters, Mr. K. M. Christopher and Mr. N. Seerpadam, also attended the ceremony, and their valuable service to the Parliamentary Interpretation Service was commended.
Commemorating both the establishment of the first ever Translation Unit of the Parliament and the International Translation Day 2026, this event marked an important step in elevating the parliamentary interpretation and translation services into a more professional and efficient service.
A large number of interpreters and translators, including Deputy Chief Parliamentary Interpreters Mr. A. Saravanabavanandan, Ms. Chamila Nissanga, and Mr. G.F.P. Sureshwaran, attended this event.
2026-10-12
The Hon. Speaker of Parliament of Sri Lanka (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne, together with the Hon. Member of Parliament Rishad Bathiudeen, participated in the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and related meetings held in Arusha, Tanzania, from 5 to 9 October 2026. The high-level Sri Lankan delegation participated robustly across the Assembly’s core plenary debates, panel discussions, and Standing Committees, highlighting Sri Lanka's progressive strides in democratic governance, human rights, and resilient public health frameworks. Addressing the General Assembly under the main theme, “Enhancing good governance and empowering communities through inclusivity, trust and opportunities for all,” the Hon. Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne emphasized that public trust and inclusiveness form the bedrock of sustainable democracy. Highlighting Sri Lanka's domestic milestones, the Hon. Speaker informed the General Assembly that the current Tenth Parliament marks a historic milestone with twenty-two women members of Parliament representing 9.8% of its membership, which includes two women representing the Malayagam community. Furthermore, for the first time, a member with a disability is serving in the Tenth Parliament and was recently awarded the prestigious 2026 New Parliamentarian Award by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The Hon. Speaker detailed how dedicated mechanisms such as the Women Parliamentarians' Caucus, the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, and specialized oversight committees like the Committee on Public Finance, the Committee on Public Accounts, and the Committee on Public Enterprises continue to champion legislative equity, transparency, and public accountability. He also underscored recent Open Parliament initiatives, including broadcasting Parliamentary debates with sign-language interpretation and opening committee proceedings to the media and civil society, which successfully bridge the gap between citizens and lawmakers. Furthermore, the delegation received special recognition during a High-Level Side Event hosted by the IPU African Geopolitical Group, titled “From Commitment to Results: African Parliamentary Action for the Three Zeros on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) Towards 2030.” The recognition acknowledged the professional medical background of the Hon. Speaker,(Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne, and underscored the importance of his medical expertise and Parliamentary leadership in advancing maternal and newborn health, strengthening healthcare systems, and promoting the well-being of vulnerable populations.On the margins of the Assembly, the Sri Lankan delegation held a vital consultative meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO) representatives, specifically meeting with Mr. Ludy Suryantoro, Head of Multisectoral Engagement for Health Security Preparedness. Discussions centered heavily on strengthening national health security and advancing the WHO Universal Health Preparedness Review. The Sri Lankan delegation underscored that the Parliament plays a pivotal role in providing legal authority for preparedness reforms, approving and protecting funding through budget processes, exercising rigorous oversight and accountability, strengthening multi-sectoral governance and coordination, and ensuring equity and human rights for vulnerable populations. Sri Lanka Parliamentary delegation, actively engaged in key deliberations across the IPU's Standing Committees and thematic workshops. These sessions addressed critical global challenges, including Parliamentary strategies for inclusive social development, the role of Parliaments in securing peace in the age of military artificial intelligence, shaping peaceful futures through Parliamentary diplomacy and mediation, strengthening maritime security and protecting critical infrastructure in times of conflict, and considering motions to review the United Nations Charter and conflict prevention machinery. Additional workshops explored strengthening responses to terrorism using the IPU reference framework, oversight of extractive industries, coping with digital overload and mental health across generations, promoting ethical artificial intelligence serving child rights, delivering healthy food in a changing climate, and enforcing mechanisms for international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The participation of the Sri Lankan Parliamentary Delegation at the 153rd IPU Assembly reflects Sri Lanka’s continued engagement in international Parliamentary dialogue and cooperation on matters of democratic governance, inclusivity, public accountability, health security and sustainable development.
2026-10-09
The Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with the delegation of the Asia Foundation on 07 October at Parliament.Welcoming the delegation from the Asia Foundation, the Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya expressed appreciation for the Foundation’s longstanding partnership with Sri Lanka and its continued support for the country’s development efforts.The delegation congratulated the Government on its recent initiatives and commended Sri Lanka’s progress in navigating the economic crisis and strengthening the country’s recovery.During the meeting, The Asia Foundation outlined its key areas of engagement and interest in Sri Lanka, including digitalisation and digital transformation, women’s economic empowerment, the care economy, poverty alleviation and social protection, maritime security and social empowerment and inclusive development.Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya briefed the delegation on the Government’s key priorities, including sustaining economic growth, attracting investment and promoting inclusive and equitable economic development, while remaining aligned with the programmes and commitments supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.She further emphasised the importance of strengthening public institutions, enhancing institutional accountability and transparency, combating corruption and improving government revenue mobilisation as part of the Government’s efforts to strengthen governance.Prime Minister also highlighted education reform and the expansion of vocational and skills-based education as key priorities for developing a future-ready workforce and supporting the country’s economic transformation.The discussion also focused on advancing Sri Lanka’s digital economy and digital transformation, particularly through the use of technology to improve public service delivery and create new economic opportunities.The occasion was attended by the Chief Executive Officer of the Asia Foundation; Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, Chair of the Board; Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. along with the representatives of The Asia Foundation and Mr. Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister and the officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka.
2026-10-08
A delegation from the Parliament of Sri Lanka recently participated in a tailor-made peer-to-peer training programme titled ‘Evidence, Innovation, and Foresight in Parliamentary Research’, held at the National Council of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava from 29 September to 2 October 2026. The initiative was conducted under the Inter Pares Partnership with the Parliament of Sri Lanka.Designed to support the ongoing development of the Parliamentary Research Division, the programme focused on comparative exchange with research services from prominent European parliaments. Key areas of study included research workflows, quality assurance, accessible product development, digital knowledge management, the responsible application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and forward-looking research methodologies.The Sri Lankan delegation was led by Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, Secretary General of Parliament, and included, Mr. Siyath Ahemed, Librarian; Mr. Mohammed Ajiwadeen, Senior Research Officer; Ms. Tekshila Erandathi Lokuge, Senior Research Officer; Mr. Nishan Wickramasingha Mohottige, Systems Analyst; and Ms. Sachinie Gunasekara, Deputy Principal Officer. A major focus of the training was the secure and responsible adoption of AI tools in legislative research. Participants examined institutional frameworks covering AI governance, data protection, confidentiality, accuracy, political neutrality, and rigorous human oversight. Practical sessions demonstrated how AI can enhance evidence gathering, document comparison, summarization, and knowledge management.Additionally, the programme underscored the strategic value of legislative foresight. By utilizing horizon scanning, trend identification, and scenario development, parliamentary researchers can better equip lawmakers to anticipate future challenges and analyze the long-term implications of public policy beyond immediate political cycles.During the visit, the delegation met with the Secretary General and senior officials of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, alongside cultural visits to the Speaker’s Gallery and the National Museum.The Parliament of Sri Lanka extends its sincere appreciation to the National Council of the Slovak Republic, International IDEA, and the Inter Pares Partnership. Gratitude is also extended to the expert contributors and partner parliaments from Czechia, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Lithuania, and the United States Congressional Research Service for facilitating this valuable capacity-building initiative.
2026-10-08
The Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament today (Oct. 08) with amendments and without a vote. Accordingly the amendments seek to address legal, interpretational, administrative and technical issues identified in the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, discrepancies between the Sinhala and English texts of the Act, issues relating to the investigation and prosecution of corruption offences, administrative matters of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), and the process of submitting declarations of assets and liabilities through a centralized electronic system.These amendments are expected to further strengthen Sri Lanka’s existing legal and institutional framework for combating corruption and ensure that the Anti-Corruption Act is implemented effectively, transparently and with accountability.
Handbook of Parliament
The System of Elections in Sri Lanka
How Parliament Works
Business of Parliament
Copyright © The Parliament of Sri Lanka.
All Rights Reserved.
Design & Developed by TekGeeks
