16 new MPs appointed in 9th Parliament

Colombo, Oct 3 (Daily Mirror) - The Ninth Parliament of Sri Lanka, which convened on August 20, 2020, and was dissolved at midnight on September 24, 2024, saw 19 parliamentary vacancies filled during its term. 

In total, 16 new members were appointed across 18 occasions, representing the full 241 MPs who had served during this period.

Several key resignations and subsequent appointments defined the changes in membership. 

Jayantha Ketagoda, who was elected to Parliament from the national list, resigned and Basil Rajapaksa was appointed in his place. Then the National List Member, Ajith Nivard Cabraal resigned and Jayantha Ketagoda was reappointed to the vacancy. 

Similarly, for the vacant seat due to the resignation of Mujibur Rahman, A.H.M. Fowzie was appointed and Mujibur Rahman was again reappointed for the Parliamentary seat of Ms. Diana Gamage, which fell vacant due to a court decision. However, a new MP was not appointed for the vacant Parliamentary seat of Harin Fernando.

One of the most significant events during this term was the election of Ranil Wickremesinghe as the 8th Executive President of Sri Lanka, following the resignation of  Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the 7th Executive President. 

Thus, 16 new Members of Parliaments have been appointed, including the appointment of a new MP to replace the Parliamentary seat that was vacated by Ranil Wickramasinghe, who was a Member of Parliament. 

The Ninth Parliament also experienced four prorogations. The first two were enacted by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, while the third and fourth prorogations were initiated by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Over the course of five parliamentary sessions, Parliament convened for a total of 390 days.