The new Chief of Staff and Deputy General Secretary of Parliament G.K.A. Chaminda Kumara Kularatne assumed duties recently.
He assumed duties in the post by taking oaths before Parliament Secretary General Kushani Rohanadeera.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana announced to the Parliament regarding the appointment of senior lawyer Kularatne with effect from September 15 2023 at the beginning of the session today (19).
Mr. Kularatne is an alumnus of Ruwanwella Rajasinghe Madhya Maha Vidyala and a Law graduate of the Open University.
He also holds a postgraduate diploma in Business Management from University of Colombo and University of Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom.
He is also a member of the Sri Lanka Bar Association since 2005 and a member of the Bar Council since 2016.
Senior Lawyer Kularatne has worked as the Secretary to the Chief Government Whip in Parliament, Additional Secretary to the President, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister, Additional Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition, Minister Counsellor at the High Commission of Sri Lanka in London, United Kingdom, Senior Assistant Secretary to the President, Assistant Secretary to the President, and has held many administrative positions at an executive level in public service about 20 years.
He is a senior public official with national and international experience in constitutional law, parliamentary affairs and proceedings, public administration and financial regulations.
Mr. Kularatne has represented Sri Lanka in many international conferences and training courses in many countries including the United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia, China, Indonesia and Japan.
He has also worked as a member of the boards of directors of many government institutions including Bank of Ceylon, Merchant Bank, MBSL Insurance Limited, Grand Oriental Hotel (GOH), C/S Maganeguma Emulsion Private Limited, Colombo Financial City Founder Ltd.
Furthermore, Mr. Kularatne was the first South Asian diplomat to represent the Executive Council of the Consular Officers Association, the oldest association of ambassadors, when he served as a Ministerial Counselor at the High Commission of Sri Lanka in London, United Kingdom.
Mr. Kularatne, who is married to lawyer Yogya Kularatne, is a loving father of two sons and a daughter, Parliament said.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Tehran, Iran has been relocated amid the prevailing situation, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told the Parliament today (June 17).
Embassy officials have also been moved due to the situation. In addition to embassy staff, eight Sri Lankan students who had been at the Embassy in Tehran have also been relocated to the northern part of Iran due to security concerns.
However, all contact numbers remain operational, the minister added.
Herath said that approximately 35 Sri Lankans remain in Iran, with those residing in Tehran currently facing heightened risks. He also pointed out that nearly 20,000 Sri Lankans are presently in Israel.
Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has assured that there is no risk of an impending fuel shortage in the country due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
Speaking during the Cabinet briefing earlier today (June 17), he assured that Sri Lanka currently has adequate fuel reserves to meet national demand for at least two and a half months and and that necessary arrangements have been made to procure upcoming fuel shipments without any issues.
He urged the public not to be misled by such claims on social media.
In line with the vision to build a transparent and corruption-free public service, the Secretary General of Parliament has taken steps to establish an “Internal Affairs Unit” in Parliament in accordance with the circular PS/SB/Circular/2/2025 issued by the Presidential Secretariat on 18 February 2025.
The newly established unit aims to achieve several key objectives, including the prevention of corruption, promotion of a culture of integrity, ensuring accountability and transparency in all institutional operations, and guaranteeing public access to information related to parliamentary activities and decisions. Additionally, the unit will work to promote ethical governance, encourage reporting of misconduct, protect whistleblowers through secure and accessible mechanisms, and assist law enforcement agencies and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in enforcing relevant laws.
Mr. Chaminda Kularatne, Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, has been appointed as the Head of the Internal Affairs Unit, while Mr. W.K.D.C. Vithana has been designated as the Integrity Officer. All department heads of Parliament will serve as members of the unit, supported by a dedicated team representing all departments.
The unit held its inaugural meeting on June 6, 2025, under the leadership of Mr. Kularatne. The meeting focused on discussing the implementation procedures in accordance with the directives outlined in the circular.