The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for the establishment of an independent body to oversee the conduct of Members of Parliament (MPs).
The government said many countries in the world have recognized the need to establish an independent body to implement a code of conduct for Parliamentarians, and Sri Lanka has addressed the need to establish a similar authority.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe have tabled a joint proposal in this regard at the last Cabinet meeting.
Accordingly, the Cabinet has given permission to obtain the views of the Speaker and leaders of political parties representing the Parliament on the basic draft bill for setting up of a code of conduct for MPs and appointing a panel to oversee.
Cabinet approval was also given to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill after taking into account the views of the Speaker and political party leaders.
The government has proposed the establishment of an independent body to oversee the conduct of MPs with the aim of increasing the public’s confidence in Parliamentarians. (NewsWire)
