Parliament to reconvene on Nov. 7 - Speaker

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya says that President Maithripala Sirisena has informed him to reconvene the Parliament on Wednesday (November 07).

He stated that the relevant Gazette notification will be issued soon.

The Speaker announced this while addressing a meeting held with representatives of several political parties at the parliamentary complex today (2).

Jayasuriya stated that although the Parliament had been prorogued until November 16, following a cordial discussion with him the President had agreed to reconvene the Parliament next week.

He said that afterwards the President informed him that the date for reconvening the Parliament is the 07th of Parliament.

The Speaker met with the party representatives to express his stance on the request made by the United National Party (UNP), Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) to convene the parliament immediately.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse had told a meeting of academics in Colombo that the legislature will be recalled on Monday.

“[The] president has decided to reconvene the parliament on 5 [November],” Rajapaksa told a televised meeting in the prime minister’s office, which he moved into earlier this week.

However, the SLFP General Secretary Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa had said that no decision has been taken on reconvening the parliament on November 05 and that they are planning to stage a public rally on that day.

The assembly was abruptly suspended on Saturday, shortly after Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was dismissed as prime minister, called for an emergency vote to prove he still had the confidence of MPs to remain in the job.

Both sides have called for street protests in Colombo on Monday to demonstrate their public support.