Local News Update: The Fourth Session of the Eighth Parliament, under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, will be ceremonially declared open tomorrow at 10 am. The President is expected to preside at 10 a.m. at the inauguration meeting and will deliver the new government’s policy address.
After the presentation of the policy statement, the President must postpone the Legislative Meeting.
Since Article 70(1) of the Constitution gives the President the power to rescind the Parliament, on December 2, 2019, the President decided to end the parliamentary term by issuing a special gazette notification.
The arrival of parliamentarians will be followed first by the arrival of Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Parliament Secretary General Dhammika Dasanayaka will welcome President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the Parliament building’s main staircase followed by the President’s hoisting of the National Flag.
The 21 gun salute will take place in the president’s memory.
The President will be joined by the Serjeant-at-Arms, Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms, Assistant Serjeant-at-Arms, preceded by Parliament’s Speaker and Parliament’s Secretary-General, where the session will be declared open ceremonially.
