President opens second session of Parliament - 16 SLFP MPs sit in Opposition

The President was receiveid at the main steps of the Parliament building by the Speaker and the Secretary-General of Parliament. 

This was followed by the Breaking of the Presidential Standard, a Guard of Honour, the singing of the national anthem and a 21 gun salute.

The President then proceeded to the Parliament building accompanied by the Speaker and Secretary-General and escorted by the serjeant-at-arms.

After the ringing of the Quorum Bell, all Members of Parliament took their seats in the Chambers of the Parliament. On April 12, the President issued a Gazette proroguing Parliament until May 8, by virtue of the powers vested in him under 70 (1) of the Constitution.

As  well as ,the sixteen Sri Lanka Freedom Party  MPs who recently resigned from their positions in the government, sat in the opposition bench in the Parliament now.

In the wake of the political crisis which had followed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, a group of 16 SLFP ministers and MPs who voted in favour of the motion had decided to step down from their positions in the government. 

President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the leader of the SLFP, gave permission for the party members to resign from their posts on April 11.