Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna

Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna raised a point of order under Standing Orders 29(1) and 29(2), citing a parliamentary privilege infringement after being delayed over 30 minutes at the Peliyagoda Exit while entering Colombo. He requested that the Deputy Speaker inform the relevant Ministry to address the ongoing traffic or access issues at that exit, noting he had previously raised this matter in the House.

Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna cited Standing Order 111(7), which empowers Sectoral Oversight Committees to examine the suitability of appointments within their jurisdiction, to raise a compliance concern regarding the Teaching Hospital, Jaffna. He stated that a previous government had made an end-post appointment contrary to the Service Minutes, and that the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Health, Media and Women's Empowerment had requested the matter be submitted to the Committee if proceeding through the Public Service Commission. As this submission has not been made, he characterised the omission as a violation of Standing Orders and requested the Speaker to direct the Ministry of Health to respond to the Committee Chairman.

Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna raised a question of privilege concerning the unauthorised recording and dissemination of a private conversation he had with the Leader of the Opposition within the Chamber on 18 February 2026. He alleged that a government member recorded the exchange on a mobile phone and that the footage was subsequently broadcast on Capital TV and circulated on social media in a manner he described as degrading and politically motivated. Citing the Standing Orders and the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act, he argued that such recording and dissemination outside official parliamentary channels constitutes a serious breach of privilege, and requested that Chamber camera footage be reviewed and the matter referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna raised a procedural matter regarding seating arrangements in Parliament, referencing Standing Order 3(2). He questioned why Hon. Sritharan continues to occupy a front-row seat reserved for party leaders and leaders of the opposition, arguing that others with greater seniority should be given precedence. The speaker called on the Hon. Speaker to address this seating allocation issue, framing it in the context of Hon. Rasamanickam's recent appointment as a party leader and his subsequent exercise of rights under Standing Order 27(2).

The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna raised procedural points under three Standing Orders — 27(2), 92(2)(a), and 3(2) — clarifying that Standing Order 27(2) specifically provides that questions may generally be raised, and that this right extends to a Party Leader or the Leader of the Opposition.

The speaker's contribution was extremely brief, consisting solely of rising to a point of order with no further substantive content recorded in the transcript provided.

The speech record for Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna (18 February 2026) is largely incomplete for summarization purposes, as the substantive portion was expunged on the order of the Chair. The remaining remarks contain a brief closing statement warning certain unnamed individuals that by 2029 they will face loss of pensions and financial hardship, urging them to cease corrupt practices and pursue legitimate business activities. No specific legislation, formal proposals, or parliamentary questions are identifiable in the available text.

Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna made brief remarks, part of which were expunged on the order of the Chair. In the remaining portion, the speaker questioned the suitability of an individual's appointment to a Provincial Council, referencing an incident from the previous day and suggesting the person lacked basic competence, citing an inability to manage a fingerprint with a three-digit code as an example.

## Summary Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna made contentious remarks directed at an opposing party, alleging that killings were committed by that party during 1987–88 and characterizing the ethnic conflict as having been deliberately framed as such by the opposing side. The speaker also claimed that the opposing party's leader travelled to the North in 1988 to seek support from Prabhakaran. The speech was partially expunged on the order of the Chair. The speaker also began raising a matter regarding five members appointed to the Northern Provincial Council before the speech concluded.

## Summary Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna criticized the poor attendance during the parliamentary debate, arguing that despite MPs receiving salaries of approximately Rs. 700,000 per month (inclusive of allowances), only 10–11 members were present in the Chamber, and called for a fingerprint-based attendance system with public disclosure. He questioned the cost of the current motion, estimating it at Rs. 15 million per day, and contrasted this with reports from a parliamentary committee that Anuradhapura Hospital lacked ambulances and had only three vehicles. He also raised concerns about the use of two helicopters, the number of vehicles taken by Ministers, and circulating allegations regarding the Speaker's fuel allowances, while questioning the capability of elected members to contribute meaningfully to national rebuilding. Several portions of his remarks were expunged on the order of the Chair.