A Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation led by Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairman and Member of Parliament, Nishantha Samaraweera, participated in the UK–Sri Lanka Parliamentary Programme held at the UK Parliament in Westminster from June 16-18.
The programme, jointly organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) UK Branch and the Parliament of Sri Lanka, aimed to strengthen cooperation between the two legislatures and promote the exchange of knowledge and best practices in parliamentary governance and oversight.
The delegation included Members of Parliament Gayantha Karunathilleka, S.M. Marikkar, Jagath Gunawardana, Thushari Jayasingha, Kanthasamy Prabu, Danushka Ranganath, and Ruwan Wijeweera, along with the Secretary-General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadeera, and the Serjeant-at-Arms, Kushan Sampath Jayarathna.
During the visit, delegates participated in discussions and interactive sessions on parliamentary systems, committee structures, legislative scrutiny, public accountability, financial oversight, parliamentary modernisation and public engagement.
The delegation also observed parliamentary proceedings, including Prime Minister’s Questions, and met with Members of the House of Commons, Members of the House of Lords, senior parliamentary officials and policy experts.
Discussions were also held with representatives of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sri Lanka, and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Secretary-General Stephen Twigg on parliamentary strengthening initiatives and future cooperation. (Newswire)