The Hon. (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi - Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, responding on behalf of the Government to the adjournment motion moved by Hon. Chathura Galappaththi of Matara District, I must say your proposal is timely, appropriate, dignified and well-argued. I personally felt great satisfaction at the richness of your submissions—indeed a Parliament that hears of Gita Govinda and the Ummagga Jataka is what we aspired to. Thank you.

¶ 02 I will not repeat your data due to time. The Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance No. 19 of 1931 is very old—though enacted in 1931, its drafting goes back to around 1905, making it about 120 years in origin. Since assuming this Ministry, throughout the past year we initiated amendments to five or six principal statutes; Cabinet approval has been obtained to proceed. The Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance often arises in discussions; as you noted, it has been amended in 1973, 1980, twice in 1981, 1992 and 2013. Thus amending it is not new. As you and others noted, with the guidance of the Chief Prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters and the concurrence of the Tri-Nikaya Maha Sangha, we are already processing amendments to Sections 41 and 42—these concern monastic disciplinary matters, not the Diyawadana Nilame election. Guided also by H.E. the President, we have repeatedly gone to Kandy for discussions—the Minister of Justice, myself as line Minister, and district MPs have engaged with the Chief Prelates.

¶ 03 On your principal point—granting voting rights to women—there is no objection in principle. Women are the equally dignified half of our citizenry; in motherhood none is second. Hon. Kariapper raised a legal point that, even absent amendment, the office should carry the right. However, Part V “Miscellaneous” of the Ordinance, under “Qualifications,” Section 40 explicitly begins: “A male person, a Buddhist, who has completed 21 years...” Thus, a contradiction exists, and your proposal aligns with the Government’s stance. In your motion you also wisely state that decisions here should consider not only law and courts but also cultural factors, and proceed with the blessings of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chief Prelates. That is also the Government’s position. Legislative technique is not uniform; with institutions like the Dalada Maligawa, the Atamasthana and Sri Pada expressly named in the Ordinance, we must proceed prudently, respecting long-standing traditions while moving progressively, as urged by the Most Venerable Chief Prelates, who consistently guide us towards societal progress.

¶ 04 On tenure, Section 12 (“Period of trusteeship”) states provincial and other devales have five-year terms, with reappointment possible; as an exception, “(a) the term of office of a Diyawadana Nilame shall be ten years.” While no explicit limit on reappointment cycles is stated, there is an age limit: under Section 14 (“Qualifications of trustees”), upon completion of 70 years, the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs must be consulted. These are the legal contours. Your motion is timely and appropriate, but bound up with the Dalada Maligawa; traditions and beliefs are deeply held, as Hon. Rohini Wijerathna knows. Therefore, with the guidance of the Most Venerable Chief Prelates and the Tri-Nikaya Maha Sangha, we should conduct broad public dialogue and proceed thoughtfully with necessary reforms. The current amendments to Sections 41 and 42 emerged at the request of the Chief Prelates to manage contemporary issues—after seven or eight rounds between Government and the Chief Prelates, the drafts are now with the Legal Draftsman. Accordingly, with wide public consultation, we must move intelligently and prudently on further reforms.

¶ 05 I thank the Hon. Member for bringing, and the Hon. Member for seconding, this motion, and the House for this opportunity to foreground motherhood and these worthy ideas.

¶ 06 Question put, and agreed to.

¶ 07 Parliament adjourned accordingly at 5.07 p.m. until 1.30 p.m. on Friday, 07th November, 2025, pursuant to the Resolution of Parliament of this Day.