Sri Lanka's Speaker to nominate two members to the Parliamentary Council tomorrow

Following the failure of the Opposition Leader and the Prime Minister to nominate members to the Parliamentary Council, the Sri Lankan Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa is to nominate two names from among the parliamentarians representing the minority communities.

Parliament officials have told the local media that the Speaker would send the names to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday (24).
The 18th Amendment to the Constitution states that while the Opposition Leader and the Prime Minister are to nominate a parliamentarian each representing the minority communities to the Parliamentary Council, the failure to do so would result in making the nominations by the Speaker.
According to parliamentary officials the seven-day period given by the Speaker to the Opposition Leader and the Prime Minister to make their nominations ends today (23) allowing him to present two nominees.
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe nominated of Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran as his nominee, but Sumanthiran turned down the nomination.
However, Wickremasinghe said he would continue to nominate names to the Parliamentary Council in an attempt to cripple the government.