Several members of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) have tendered their resignation today seemingly over the appointment of the new Chairman to the committee.
MPs Shanakiyan Rasamanickam (TNA), Hesha Withanage (SJB), Gamini Waleboda (SLPP) and S.M. Marikkar (SJB) have become the latest members to resign from the COPE Committee.
Earlier today, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Charitha Herath also announced his decision to step down from the COPE Committee.
“I have decided to resign from the COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) and have officially communicated my decision to the Speaker of Parliament today,” he said in a statement on ‘X’.
Previously, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MP Dayasiri Jayasekara resigned from the COPE Committee today, stating that he cannot work with a Chairman against whom several allegations have been raised.
“It is unfortunate that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has failed to learn from the ‘Aragalaya’ and respect the people. To instruct State Officials to avoid corruption, the committees in Parliament must also be free of corruption,” he added in a statement on ‘X’.
The resignations come after Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Eran Wickramaratne became the first member to announce his decision to step down from the COPE Committee yesterday.
“COPE has been established to ensure the observance of financial discipline in Public Corporations and other semi-governmental bodies in which the Government has a financial stake. By appointing a ruling party member as its Chairman, the committee fails to meet its objectives of keeping a check on the executive arm of the government,” he said in a statement. (NewsWire)