Dayasiri Jayasekara appeals to Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

Sri Lankan opposition parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara has formally appealed to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) regarding the conduct of Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. Jayasekara alleges a serious breach of parliamentary privilege and impartiality within the legislature.

The dispute stems from the Speaker’s refusal to allow Jayasekara to raise a Privilege Question on September 10, 2026, concerning an ongoing Bribery Commission (CIABOC) investigation involving the Speaker’s official functions. Jayasekara argues that by personally studying the complaint instead of referring it to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, the Speaker violated the principle of 'nemo judex in causa sua'—that no one should judge a case in which they are personally involved.

Jayasekara, a senior figure in the Samagi Jana Sandanaya (SJS) coalition, has requested that the CPA assess whether these circumstances align with principles of fairness, encourage the referral of the matter to the appropriate committee, and support an independent review to safeguard parliamentary democracy and freedom of speech.