By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana   

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Kabir Hashim has been unanimously appointed as the Chairman of the committee on public accounts (COPA) as a result of a consensus reached between the government and the opposition, Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga informed Parliament yesterday.  

Ranatunga said both the government and the opposition agreed on the matter during discussions with President Ranil Wickremesinghe.   

Both parties had reached an agreement after long and heated arguments in Parliament both on Tuesday and yesterday. A decision was made earlier to have a vote to elect the head of both COPA and Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).   

Arguments were seen hours before the agreement was reached. Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said the vote should be held via zoom. “ Some of our members in COPE and COPA are abroad and we request the Speaker to allow voting via zoom,” he said.   

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene who responded said there are no provisions to conduct the vote via zoom. “ Standing orders does not provide for zoom voting. It has never happened,” the Speaker said.   

Kiriella who responded said party leaders meeting was once conducted through zoom and the vote could also be held in the same way.   

“ Both ruling party members and the opposition members should settle this matter themselves,” the Speaker responded.   

Yesterday;s argument thus ended and Ranatunga announced the decision reachd to appoint Hashim as COPA head around an hour later.