MP Mayantha Dissanayake of the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has decided to step down as the chairman of Committee on Public Finance (COPF) in parliament, just two days after his appointment.

The parliamentarian has informed his decision to SJB’s General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara.

Dissanayake was picked for the position by the parliament’s Committee of Selection on Thursday (Feb 23), although fellow lawmaker Harsha de Silva had been nominated for COPF chairmanship by the SJB.

The COPF also met the same day, under the chairmanship of MP Dissanayake.

Nevertheless, there was a rift in the main opposition as MP de Silva later cried foul over the new appointment. Taking issue with MP Dissanayake’s decision to accept the position, MP de Silva alleged that all government MPs in the Committee of Selection in the parliament endorsed this appointment, overruling his nomination.

“Actually, it was my name that was proposed by the opposition as the nominee from the opposition. It was approved two days ago. But today, the government abused their power and used Mayantha to get their way,” the SJB lawmaker tweeted on Thursday.

It was reported that MP Dissanayake had initially refused the request made by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa asking him to step down from the position.

The issue also led to a heated debate in the parliament on Friday (Feb 24).

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader MP Rauff Hakeem, who is also a member of the Committee of Selection, stated that in terms of the Standing Orders, the selection committee should have accepted the name of the parliamentarian proposed by the opposition as the COPF chair.

Pursuant to the Standing Orders of the parliament, a member of the opposition should be appointed for the COPF chairmanship. However, MPs in the ruling party insisted that the Committee of Selection had appointed MP Dissanayake as COPF chair, in compliance with the Standing Orders.

After the third session of the ninth parliament was prorogued by President Wickremesinghe, three parliamentary watchdog committees, namely the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and the COPF, were accordingly dissolved.

Following the appointment of MP Dissanayake as the COPF chair, MP de Silva alleged that all government MPs in the Committee of Selection in the parliament endorsed this appointment, overruling his nomination.