Speaker interdicting Deputy Secretary General of Parliament without hearing sets dangerous precedent- Sajith

Sajith Premadasa, the Leader of the Opposition, has expressed concern over the Speaker of the House, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, suspending the Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and Chief of Staff, Chaminda Kularatne, without a hearing. He believes this sets a troubling example for democracy, where officials should be allowed to defend themselves before facing punishment. Premadasa remarked that the situation surrounding Kularatne's removal feels very personal and is quite alarming. In a message on X (formerly Twitter), he stated that he would formally voice his opposition to this action in Parliament. Kularatne was suspended effective Friday, September 23. The Parliament Staff Advisory Committee (SAC), led by Speaker Wickramaratne, made the decision to suspend him, reportedly due to alleged misconduct related to his appointment.