More than two-thirds of new parliament are first-timers

• More than 160 new comers in Parliament of which the majority are from the NPP 

By Yohan Perera   
The new Parliament will see 160 fresh MPs who have been elected for the very first time as people have given the green light to only around 37 members who represented House from 2020 to return.   

More than 100 new comers are from the National Peoples Power (NPP) which won a landslide victory at this year’s General election. Other new comers are from Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Independent group 17 of Jaffna District while one new MP is slated to enter from Sarwajana Balaya.   

 Those who have been re-elected includes D.V. Chanaka, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Sajith Premadasa, Harsha de Silva, Harini Amarasuriya, Vijitha Herath, Harshana Rajakaruna, S. M.Marikar, Mujibur Rahman, Rohini Kaviratne, Kavinda Jayawardene, Gayantha Karunatilleke, J. C. Alawathuwela,  Selvam Adaikalanathan, S.Seetharam, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Shanakyan Rasamanikam, Rishath Bathiudeen, Kader Masthan, Koneshwaran, Imran Maharuf, Rauff Hakeem, Dilip Wedaarachchi, J. C. Alawathuwela, Hector Appuhamy, Rohana Bandara, Kings Nelson, Chaminda Wijesiri, Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, Hesha Withanage, Sumith Sanjaya Perera, P.Digambaram, Jeewan Thondaman. Meanwhile former MP Namal Rajapaksa is slated to enter Parliament from the National list.   

Some who represented the House from 2020 did not contest the election. These include, Bandula Gunawardene, Lakshman Kiriella, Prasanna Ranatunga, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Vajira Abeywardena, Wimal Weerawansa, Shehan Semasinghe, Nalaka Godahewa, Ali Sabry , Chamal Rajapaksa, John Seneviratne, C.V.Vigneswaran, Gamini Lokuge and Champika Ranawaka.   

Meanwhile there are others who were out of last Parliament and have returned after a long period. These include, K. D. Lal Kantha, Sunil Handunnetti, Lakshman Nipunarachchi, Nalinda Jayatissa, Nihal Galappaththi, Wasantha Piyatissa, Namal Karunaratne, Wasantha Samarasinghe and Samantha Vidyaratna.