COPE : 10 MPs including AKD have resigned

March 20, 2024 at 1:03 PM

A total of 10 members have stepped down from the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) as of today.

National Peoples Power (NPP) Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MP Duminda Dissanayake are the latest Parliamentarians to resign from the COPE Committee.

Resignations have been pouring in over the last few days seemingly over the newly appointed Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises.

Earlier today, SLPP MP Wasantha Yapa Bandara declined to accept his appointment to the COPE Committee, which was announced by Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakshe in Parliament.

MP Wasantha Yapa Bandara intervened and announced his decision to decline the appointment, due to the current issue with the newly appointed Chairman.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Eran Wickramaratne was the first member of the COPE Committee to resign, citing issues with the appointment of a ruling party member as the new chairman of the Committee. 

Following his resignation, MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara (SLFP), Prof. Charitha Herath (SLPP), S.M. Marikkar (SJB), Hesha Withanage (SJB), Gamini Waleboda (SLPP), and Shanakiyan Rasamanickam (TNA) also stepped down from the COPE Committee over the last two days. (NewsWire)