Speaker Karu Jayasuriya praised civil society members, including three NPC staff members, for opposing the Constitutional coup of October last year when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former president Mahinda Rajapakse in his place, at a felicitation ceremony organized by the Puttalam District Development Foundation.

The NPC staff recognised by the Speaker were Dr. Jehan Perera, Saman Seneviratne and Rasika Seneviratne.

Other civil society members mentioned by the Speaker were Ven. Dambara Amila, Professor Sarath Wijesuriya (Convenor, National Movement for Social Justice), Saman Ratnapriya (Convener of the Trade Union Movement for Social Justice), Jayatilleke Bandara (Sadhu Janarawa) and Philip Dissanayake (Right to Life).

Recalling the pioneering role played by the late Ven Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera in the events leading to the change of government in 2015, Mr Jayasuriya praised the civil society organizations for following the monk’s vision.

Mr Jayasuriya said that in spite of the Constitutional coup threatening parliamentary democracy, the issue was resolved democratically. Declaring that the peaceful resolution of the crisis was a victory for the country, Mr Jayasuriya asserted that Sri Lanka had retained its place in the world as a mature democracy.