Ceremonial Opening of Second Session of 9th Parliament today

The Ceremonial Opening of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament will be held today under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is scheduled to present the Government Policy Statement in Parliament at 10 a.m. today in accordance with the powers vested in him by Article 33 (2) of the Constitution.

Prior to this, the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament will be ceremonially opened under the patronage of the President.

On the instructions of the President, arrangements have been made to hold the ceremony in a very simple manner thus there will be no gun salutes or car parades, the Parliament Media Unit said.

Instead, the President will be received in front of Parliament with a cultural salute with the participation of the Police Cultural Division.

The arrival of the Members of Parliament will take place first, followed by the arrival of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayaka will be welcoming the President at the main steps of the Parliament building.

The Speaker and the Secretary General of Parliament will then escort the President to Parliament House along with the Serjeant-at-Arms, Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms and Assistant Serjeant-at-Arms.

The students of President’s Girls’ College, Sri Jayewardenepura will line up for the recital of Jayamangala Gatha at the main entrance of the Parliament Building in welcoming the President.

Following the presentation of the Government Policy Statement by the President, the House will be adjourned. Afterwards, a tea party will be held for Members of Parliament and invited guests.

“Foreign diplomats, former Presidents, Prime Ministers, the Chief Justice, Supreme Court Justices and the Attorney General have been invited to the ceremonial opening of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament,” Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake said.

He also stressed that the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament will be ceremonially opened following all health guidelines.