Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam, M.P.
Profession: Attorney-at-Law
Speeches 91 #52 of 225·#1 in party
Attendance 8/8 days present (of recorded)
Top topic Ethnic Reconciliation & Devolution 37 speeches
Last spoke 10 June 2026 in Debate
Activity by sitting
52 sittings · counts only, no scoring.
Topic focus
AI summary AI-assigned tags, 1–3 per speech. Counts only — not a score.
Speech history
91 speeches- 23 October 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam argued that drug use in the North and East was minimal in areas influenced or controlled by the LTTE during the ceasefire period, while it increased after the military took control, particularly after 2009. He alleged that military involvement and police inaction have contributed to the spread of narcotics, including claims that suspected traffickers seek refuge in army camps and complaints are not recorded. He contended that drug prevention requires accountable administration by and for the affected communities, linking the issue to broader demands for local control over safety, welfare, education, health, and resolution of the national question. Adjournment Debate: Organized Crime, Drug Trafficking and Nation Together Programme (Ratama Ekata) Security & DefenceEthnic Reconciliation & DevolutionLaw & Order Read →
- 9 October 2025 AI summary The Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam stated “One hundred and eight percent,” apparently referring to a figure in the ongoing parliamentary discussion. No further argument, proposal, or question is provided in the excerpt. Adjournment Debate: Implementation of Manifesto - Continued Discussion Parliamentary Procedure Read →
- 9 October 2025 AI summary G.G. Ponnambalam criticised the Government over the involvement of the TID in inquiries about a school sports meet decoration in Kilinochchi, arguing that such action contradicts promises to repeal the PTA and allow war commemorations. He said commitments on the Palaly Airport upgrade and the release of military-held private lands in the North had not been fulfilled, contrasting this with faster progress on Ratmalana Airport. He also raised concerns about alleged illegal military-backed construction on private land near Palaly and the Thayyiddy Vihara issue, urging the Government to act early on North-East commitments if it is to retain trust. Adjournment Debate: Implementation of Manifesto - Continued Discussion Land & HousingJustice & Human RightsEthnic Reconciliation & Devolution Read →
- 22 August 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam questioned the Government’s position on federalism in the context of its commitment to a unitary state. He argued that the term “federal” has long been portrayed among the Sinhala public as racist or separatist, and urged the Minister to state clearly that federalism is not equivalent to racism or separatism so it can be discussed openly with the public. Adjournment Motion: Human Rights Issues Faced by the Tamil Community in the North, East and Hill Country Ethnic Reconciliation & Devolution Read →
- 22 August 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam welcomed the Motion but criticised the omission of explicit commitments to federalism and international accountability, arguing that these were part of ITAK’s electoral mandate. He questioned the Government’s assurances of impartiality in light of continued PTA use and recent incidents involving a journalist and the military, and argued that Tamils require constitutional guarantees rather than reliance on the intentions of any current government. He called for recognition of Tamils as an indigenous people with a homeland and the right to manage their affairs, and urged the Government at least to state that federalism is not secession and permit a genuine debate on it. Adjournment Motion: Human Rights Issues Faced by the Tamil Community in the North, East and Hill Country Justice & Human RightsEthnic Reconciliation & DevolutionCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
- 20 August 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam, during debate on the Samurdhi (Amendment) Bill, raised the case of 14 Samurdhi Development Officers from Paruthithurai/Maruthankerny who he said were denied Grade I promotions after passing a 2006 interview because their results were allegedly not received by the Ministry. He argued that, despite wartime disruptions, administrative lapses caused the officers to lose six years of seniority and benefits before being promoted only in 2012. He urged the Minister to grant them backdated Grade I promotions effective from 2006 and tabled their details. Debate: Samurdhi (Amendment) Bill, Rubber Control (Amendment) Bill, Sports Law Regulations, and Judicature Act Rules EmploymentPublic FinanceJustice & Human Rights Read →
- 5 August 2025 AI summary G.G. Ponnambalam said the Tamil National People’s Front supports the motion to remove IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, arguing that he functioned as a political agent and should not remain in office. He said Tennakoon’s case reflects a wider politicization of the State, but argued that successive governments have also used state institutions against Tamils, particularly through the police and military. Referring to the Chemmanni mass grave excavations, he alleged political interference by the Justice Ministry Secretary and intimidation by police presence near the site, and called for accountability through an international criminal investigation, noting Sri Lanka’s non-accession to the Rome Statute. Debate: Resolution to Remove Inspector-General of Police T.M.W. Deshabandu Tennakoon Law & OrderEthnic Reconciliation & DevolutionJustice & Human Rights Read →
- 23 July 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam marked Black July, alleging State complicity in the 1983 anti-Tamil violence and urging the Government to officially recognize the day as a national day of mourning rather than recast it as a message of “comradery.” While welcoming Companies Act amendments aimed at money laundering and illicit finance, he cautioned against focusing on terrorism financing without addressing the political grievances and State actions that he said fuel armed resistance. He raised concerns over unreleased lands in Valikamam North and Myliddy, alleging continued military occupation, agricultural use by the forces, and destruction of religious sites, and called on the Government to resolve these issues rather than rely on legislation alone. Debate: Companies (Amendment) Bill – Second Reading Justice & Human RightsEthnic Reconciliation & DevolutionLand & Housing Read →
- 23 July 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam objected to time being wasted during Questions for Oral Answers, noting that his party has only one MP and receives very limited debate time. He requested that any time lost due to irrelevant interventions, including remarks by the Leader of the House, not be deducted from his party’s allocated speaking time. Oral Question: Export of Rock Phosphate (Q.5/2025 – 857/2025) Parliamentary Procedure Read →
- 23 July 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam rose on a point of order. No substantive argument, proposal, or question is recorded in the provided excerpt. Oral Question: Export of Rock Phosphate (Q.5/2025 – 857/2025) Parliamentary Procedure Read →
- 9 July 2025 AI summary G.G. Ponnambalam argued that where the State is itself implicated, including in the Easter attacks and alleged mass graves such as Chemmani, domestic investigations cannot command legitimacy and should be replaced by international investigations rather than only an independent prosecutor with foreign assistance. He said past failures in Chemmani and the Government’s position on war crimes prosecutions show victims cannot trust State-led processes. He also raised the detention of Mohamed Suhail Mohamed Rifai under the Prevention of Terrorism Act over a social media post about Palestine, questioned the legal basis for treating it as a PTA offence, and called for government intervention to secure the release of such detainees. Adjournment Debate: Easter Sunday Terrorist Attacks (21 April 2019) Corruption & Governance ReformJustice & Human RightsLaw & Order Read →
- 6 June 2025 AI summary Hon. G. G. Ponnambalam paid tribute to the late Mavai S. Senathirajah, recalling their work together after the formation of the Tamil National Alliance in 2001 despite earlier party rivalries. He said Senathirajah remained consistent in agreed political positions, was committed to Tamil rights and liberation politics, and helped build a principled political culture within his party. He emphasized that Senathirajah’s advocacy for Tamils was not hostility to Sri Lanka, but a call for an inclusive country based on diversity, and extended condolences to his family, colleagues, supporters, and the people who valued him. Debate: Votes of Condolence for Four Former MPs Ethnic Reconciliation & DevolutionParliamentary Procedure Read →
- 4 June 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam called for any agreement underlying the project in question to be released publicly, arguing that the Government’s decision to proceed despite apparent unsustainability required scrutiny of its motives. He framed the issue in the context of Sri Lanka’s strategic position and geopolitical competition, urging the Government to set a precedent against foreign pressure or influence by taking action on such agreements. Debate: Anti-Corruption Act Regulations Foreign AffairsCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
- 4 June 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam stated that Tamil people stand with Palestinians against genocide while distinguishing opposition to the Israeli Government’s actions from hostility to Jewish people. Speaking on Regulations under the Anti-Corruption Act, he argued that unsustainable State projects causing loss of national control constitute serious corruption and should be investigated, citing the Hambantota Harbour Project and its 99-year lease as a key example. He questioned what action the Government has taken on projects the JVP had previously described as sellouts, and urged the release of the Hambantota lease agreement, in consultation with the counterpart, for public scrutiny. Debate: Anti-Corruption Act Regulations Corruption & Governance ReformForeign AffairsPublic Finance Read →
- 4 June 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam raised a Point of Order objecting to receiving less speaking time than requested and asked for advance notice when time is curtailed. He then urged the Minister of Justice and National Integration to intervene over the Chemmani cemetery graves, stating that more than three skeletons had been found, the site lacked security, and available JMO funding was insufficient. He requested that the area be declared a potential mass grave site, protected from tampering, provided funds, and supported through international or institutional assistance, citing the 1996 Krishanti Kumaraswamy case and its allegations of mass burials in the area. Debate: Anti-Corruption Act Regulations Parliamentary ProcedureJustice & Human Rights Read →
- 23 May 2025 AI summary G.G. Ponnambalam supported the proposed amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, particularly the use of technology to take evidence from abroad and excuse an accused’s presence in defined circumstances to reduce delays. He then criticised Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath’s reported warning of legal action against those alleging genocide during the war, arguing that Sri Lanka has not criminalized genocide domestically or ratified the Rome Statute, and called for the remarks to be withdrawn. He also raised the Kurunthur Malai dispute, questioning the legal basis for arrests of farmers outside the gazetted archaeological area and demanding government intervention to stop the arrests and secure the release of those remanded. Debate: Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill and Foreign Loans (Repeal) Bill - Second Reading Religion & CultureJustice & Human RightsEthnic Reconciliation & Devolution Read →
- 20 May 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam argued that the Government’s stated aim of resolving land documentation problems in the North-East was inconsistent with the law being used, warning that unclaimed lands could vest in the State by 28 June unless the Gazette was revoked. He urged the Minister to withdraw the Gazette, consult Tamil Members from the North-East, and instead use a committee or commission process similar to approaches for wildlife or forest lands. He said affected communities had not been adequately informed within the three-month period and pledged cooperation to address displacement- and tsunami-related land issues if the current legal mechanism was abandoned. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Land & HousingCorruption & Governance ReformEthnic Reconciliation & Devolution Read →
- 20 May 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam moved an Adjournment Motion urging the Government to revoke Gazette Notification No. 2430/2025, which issued seven settlement notices covering nearly 6,000 acres in Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Mannar. He argued that the notice could convert private and communal lands, including beaches, roads, cemeteries and other traditionally used areas, into State land if title is not proved within three months, despite widespread loss of documents due to war, displacement and the tsunami. He rejected the Government’s reported “suspension” of the process as legally insufficient under the Land Settlement Ordinance and said only withdrawal of the Gazette would prevent the lands being declared State land. He further contended that the action was contrary to the Government’s election commitments on a constitutional settlement and land powers, and called for consultation with Tamil representatives and a people-centred mechanism to regularize land claims. Adjournment Motion: Land Settlement Gazette Notification 2430/2025 (Tamil Lands in North and East) Land & HousingJustice & Human RightsEthnic Reconciliation & Devolution Read →
- 9 May 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam supported the Private Member’s Motion calling for action to implement Audit Report recommendations, arguing that non-implementation of official recommendations and even constitutional provisions reflects a broader failure in public administration. He linked this to the Government’s unfulfilled pledge to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act, noting that it continues to be used despite being described by Government leaders as draconian. He specifically requested action on the cases of detainees S. Kirupakaran and Aravinthan Ananthavarman, including Kirupakaran’s transfer request and Ananthavarman’s prolonged detention and ill health. Private Members' Motion (P.19/2024): Course of Action for Implementing Audit Recommendations Justice & Human RightsLaw & OrderCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
- 8 May 2025 AI summary Hon. G.G. Ponnambalam objected to the 28 March Gazette requiring owners in specified Northern Province areas to prove title within three months or have the lands declared State land. He argued the deadline is unrealistic for Tamil diaspora owners and war-displaced residents, and said existing legal protections had recognized their inability to return and defend ownership. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Gazette and warned that proceeding without agreement with Tamil representatives would undermine reconciliation and risk dispossessing Tamil-speaking communities. Debate: Customs Ordinance - Resolution on Import Duties on Motor Vehicles Ethnic Reconciliation & DevolutionJustice & Human RightsLand & Housing Read →