Colombo, Dec 3 (IANS): Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has prorogued Parliament and fixed January 3, 2020 for the start of the new session of the Legislature.

The announcement was made on Monday night, reports the Daily Financial Times.

Rajapaksa will declare open the new session of Parliament on the fixed date at 10 a.m. and deliver the policy statement of his government.

Parliament committees will cease to function during the prorogation and all of them will have to be reconstituted at the commencement of the new Session of Parliament except the Committee on High Posts, Sectoral Oversight Committees and Select Committees.

Matters pending before the House can be proceeded with from that stage onwards after the commencement of the new Session while all items of Business which were in the Order Paper of Parliament will need to be relisted.

President Rajapaksa is heading a minority government with the United People's Freedom Alliance which had 95 MPs.