Sri Lanka, Feb. 7 -- Former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who is in remand custody, has refused to attend the parliamentary session today (Feb.07) despite being given permission, the Prisons Department said.

The Fifth Session of the Ninth Parliament will be ceremoniously declared open by President Ranil Wickremesinghe this morning.

The Parliament was prorogued with effect from midnight on January 26, by way of a proclamation published in the government gazette.

On Tuesday (Feb.06), the former health minister had tendered his resignation to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who in return, had accepted it. Later, a gazette notification was published, confirming the resignation of Rambukwella as the Environment Minister.

The SLPP parliame...