Deputy Speaker assumes duties

Parliamentarian Ajith Rajapakse assumed duties as the Deputy Speaker at the Deputy Speaker’s Office yesterday morning (19).

Following the resignation of former Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, two names were proposed in Parliament to elect the new Deputy Speaker. Following the vote, Ajith Rajapakse was elected as the 29th Deputy Speaker of Parliament on May 17 with a majority of 31 votes.

Ajith Rajapakse was elected to Parliament from the Hambantota District at the last General Election representing the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). He is a past pupil of Vijayaba National School, Hungama, Hambantota.

Ajith Rajapakse was elected to the Ambalantota Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) in 1997. He was the youngest elected PS Chairman in Sri Lanka. He also contested at the 1999 Provincial Council (PC) elections and was elected as a Member of the Southern Provincial Council.

From that point, until 2020, he represented the Southern Provincial Council as a Member for nearly 21 years and in 1999, he was awarded the National Youth Award as the youngest Provincial Council Member in Sri Lanka. He has also served as the Chief Government Whip of the Southern Provincial Council.

Chief Incumbent of Mulgirigala Metigannala Ramba Rajamaha Viharaya, Chief Sanghanayake of Matara and Hambantota Ven. Weligalle Saranapala Thera, Chief Sanganayaka of Italy, the Chief Incumbent of the Hambantota Theraputtabhaya Rajamaha Viharaya Ven. Beligalle Saranapala Thera and the Chief Incumbent of the Hatagala Rajamaha Viharaya, Western Provincial Director of Buddhist Affairs Ven. Wangishwara Thera were present on the occasion for religious rituals.

Angajan Ramanatha, Deputy Chairperson of Committees; Dinesh Gunawardena, Leader of the House of Parliament; Parliamentarians Chamal Rajapaksa, D. V. Chanaka, Yadamini Gunawardena, Gunathilaka Rajapaksha, Sisira Jayakody, Samanpriya Herath, D. Weerasinghe, A. Aravindh Kumar, Jagath Pushpakumara, Chandima Weerakkody, B. Y. G. Rathnasekara, Dr. Upul Galappaththi, Madhura Withanage. Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake and family members of Ajith Rajapakse were present.