A number of committees cease to exist after parliament is prorogued

COLOMBO (News 1st) - In the event of the proroguing of Parliament, all committees including Committee of Public Accounts, Committee of Public Finance, Committee of Parliamentary Business, Committee of Standing orders, Committee of Ethics and Privileges, Constitutional Council and Ministerial Consultative Committees would cease to function. Media division of the parliament issuing a release stated that Select Committee of Parliament to Study and Report to Parliament its Recommendations to Ensure Communal and Religious Harmony chaired by the Speaker and Select Committee of Parliament to study and report to Parliament its recommendation to ensure National Evaluation Capacity chaired by the Deputy Speaker will continue to function. 16 Sectoral Oversight Committees will also continue to function. The third session of the eighth Parliament was prorogued yesterday (December 02). Parliament will reconvene on the 3rd of January 2020 at 10:00 am. During the prorogation, the Speaker continues to function and the Members retain their membership even though they do not attend meetings of Parliament. UNP MP S. M. Marikkar noted that the consensus of these committees may change when parliament reconvenes on the 3rd. He added that it would take another month and they are not sure if it would be postponed again or not. He went on to note that the president will get the power to dissolve the parliament after midnight on the 28th of February and when parliament dissolves, the reports of these committees will be cancelled. He added that this would stop any chance to bring in perpetrators involved in the Central Bank bond scam before the law. He further added that this was a conspiracy to protect the perpetrators. UNP MP Ajith P. Perera noted that the forensic audit that was to be presented today before the presidential election was avoided. He added that this issue would be dragged in soon in the future. MP Udaya Gammanpila, Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya: "A new COPE will be formed. The COPE can only present recommendations. The Attorney General gets a copy of the CBSL report. Even if the COPE does not look into it.  The politicians were saved and the blame was put on the officers."