Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Member of Parliament, as the Deputy Speaker was proposed by Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Member of Parliament and was seconded by Hon. (Dr.) Susil Premajayantha on behalf of the group of MPs who recently declared themselves as Independent Members of Parliament. Hon. (Prof.) G. L. Peiris announced to the House that the nomination of Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has the support of the Government. Hon. Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Member of Parliament representing the Opposition was nominated by the Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara and was seconded by the Hon. Lakshman
Kiriella.
Accordingly, a secret ballot was taken in parliament and 148 votes were cast in favor of Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and 65 votes were cast in favor of Hon. Imthiaz Bakeer Markar. There were 3 invalid votes and 8 Members of Parliament were recorded absent. Accordingly, Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, was re-elected as the new Deputy Speaker of Parliament with a majority of 83 votes.
The appointment of the new Deputy Speaker took place in accordance with Standing Order 6 of Parliament. At the first sitting of a newly elected Parliament as specified in Standing Order 1, or at the commencement of Public Business at the first meeting of Parliament after the occurrence of a vacancy in the office of Deputy Speaker, Parliament shall proceed to the election of a Deputy Speaker or Deputy Chairperson of Committees, as the case may be. Accordingly, the new Deputy Speaker was appointed in Parliament today.
Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya served as the Deputy Speaker of the Ninth Parliament until being re-elected. He had recently submitted a letter to His Excellency the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announcing his resignation from the post of Deputy Speaker. Accordingly, the Hon. Speaker informed Parliament yesterday that the President had informed him of Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya’s resignation, and that he had received a copy of it. Hon. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya affirmed the same in Parliament yesterday (04). Thus an election to elect a new Deputy Speaker was held today.
