Sri Lanka’s 1st vision-impaired lawmaker to receive special seating arrangement

COLOMBO, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) — Sri Lanka’s first vision-impaired parliamentarian, Sugath Wasantha de Silva, will have special seating arrangements in parliament when sessions commence on Nov. 21, Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera said on Monday.
Parliament will provide tailored facilities to ensure de Silva’s active participation in legislative proceedings, Rohanadeera said.
De Silva, representing the ruling National People’s Power, was appointed to parliament via the party’s national list.
Sri Lanka’s parliament consists of 225 members, 196 of whom are elected from 22 electoral districts. The remaining 29 seats are filled through national lists, allocated to political parties in proportion to their share of the vote.
Before entering politics, de Silva was an activist advocating for the rights of the visually impaired and serves as the president of the Visually Impaired Graduates’ Council. ■