Stalemate over Parliamentary Select Committee appointments

Colombo (News1st): Major Political parties are in a stalemate over the appointment to the Parliament Select Committee. The Committee is paramount to ensuring the smooth function of parliamentary proceeding on Friday, 23rd of November. When President Maithripala Sirisena decided to prorogue Parliament on the 27th of October, all Select Committee that existed until that day were automatically abolished. It is the Parliamentary Select Committee that decides on the composition, number of members, task and quorum of the Committees such as the Committee on Public Accounts, Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), Legislative Standing Committees and the Committee on Ethics and Privileges. The Speaker will chair the Parliamentary Select Committee which will also consist up to twelve members. The UPFA and the UNP are in disagreement over the representation of the majority in the commitee. The UPFA state as they function as the government, they are the majority representation. The UNP vehemently opposes this. The leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said UPFA representatives will be named before Friday and UNP will be announcing its representatives tomorrow (November 21)  following a meeting with the Speaker. The JVP has nominated MPs Vijitha Herath and Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa as their representatives.