The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, I move: “That the subject of Item No. 2 of the Main Business be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order 27(8) for today’s sitting.”

¶ 02 Question put, and agreed to.

¶ 03 Further, with your leave, Hon. Speaker, I wish to express, on behalf of Parliament, our deep condolences on the demise of former Secretary-General of Parliament, Mr. Nihal Seneviratne, who rendered immense service to the Legislature over 33 years as Second Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, and Secretary-General, and retired in 1994, spending over 30 years thereafter in retirement.

¶ 04 He was a dedicated lawyer who served the Legislature with great commitment. Though he had retired by the time we entered Parliament in 2000, we met and discussed matters with him on several occasions. Even when I served later as Chief Government Whip, he offered guidance and assistance whenever sought. The post of Secretary-General is of great importance to our country; he strengthened that office and added to its stature. I believe he rendered remarkable service to the nation throughout his professional life. He passed away at the age of 91. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to appreciate his service, Hon. Speaker.