Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, a member of parliament from the National People's Power (NPP), was elected as the new Speaker of the 10th Parliament today (17) following the commencement of parliamentary proceedings.

The proposal to appoint Dr. Wickramaratne was brought forward by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and seconded by the Leader of the House, Bimal Ratnayake. The Speaker's position became vacant after the resignation of Mr. Ashoka Rangwala, who previously held the role.

Meanwhile, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party had announced plans to nominate a candidate for the Speaker's post. However, during today's session, the party refrained from proposing a name.

The election of Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne marks a new chapter in the leadership of the 10th Parliament.