CAPE TOWN : The Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year 2026 Awards have been announced at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in South Africa.
Hon. Ruth Forrest MLC (Parliament of Tasmania, Australia) was announced as the recipient of the 2026 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award in recognition of her work on connecting Commonwealth Parliamentarians on Public Accounts Committees to share best practice as well as her contributions to public accountability, evidence-based scrutiny and inclusive leadership within the Tasmanian Parliament and across the Commonwealth.
Hon. Dr Angelo Farrugia (House of Representatives, Parliament of Malta), the former Speaker from 2013 to 2026 was awarded the 2026 Parliamentarian Life-time Achievement Award in recognition of his almost three decades of parliamentary and public service, and leadership in strengthening democratic institutions, parliamentary diplomacy and international humanitarian law.
Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, MP (Parliament of Sri Lanka) was awarded the 2026 New Parliamentarian Award in recognition of his leadership advancing disability rights and inclusive governance since his election in 2024.
Hon. Babar Saleem Swati (Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) was awarded the 2026 Parliamentary Equality and Diversity Award in recognition of his leadership in embedding equality, diversity and inclusion into parliamentary practice, including the establishment of caucuses for women, minorities, children and young people
The awards were presented by the CPA Chairperson, Hon. Dr Christopher Kalila, MP (Zambia) at the conclusion of the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in South Africa.
Above: Hon. Dr Angelo Farrugia (Malta) receives his 2026 Parliamentarian Life-time Achievement Award in South Africa from the CPA Secretary-General Stephen Twigg and the CPA Chairperson, Hon. Dr Christopher Kalila, MP. For more images of the awards ceremony please click here.
The CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg said:
“The Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards aligns with our strategic objective of promoting the Commonwealth values of parliamentary democracy and sustainable development to a wide audience. Through these annual awards, the CPA recognises and highlights the invaluable contributions that Parliamentarians are making to their local communities within the Commonwealth.”
Hon. Ruth Forrest MLC (Parliament of Tasmania, Australia) was announced as the recipient of the 2026 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award in recognition of her work on connecting Commonwealth Parliamentarians on Public Accounts Committees to share best practice as well as her transformational contribution to parliamentary accountability. As Chair since 2021 of the Joint Standing Committee on Public Accounts, she has substantially increased the Committee’s program of inquiries into public spending, financial management and government performance, establishing it as a respected, non-partisan voice in Tasmanian public life. She has extended this work across the Commonwealth, serving as CPA Tasmania Branch President since 2024, Chair of the Australasian Council of Public Accounts Committees from 2024 to 2026, and Vice Chair of the Commonwealth Association of Public Accounts Committees since 2026, championing knowledge-sharing on public accounts scrutiny across Commonwealth Parliaments.
Hon. Dr Angelo Farrugia (House of Representatives, Parliament of Malta), the former Speaker from 2013 to 2026 was awarded the 2026 Parliamentarian Life-time Achievement Award in recognition of almost three decades of parliamentary and public service, including as Speaker from 2013 to 2026. Praised for his commitment to the independence and dignity of Parliament, Dr Farrugia became the first elected Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches network and was twice elected President of the IPU Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law, sharing his knowledge and expertise with legislatures and international parliamentary bodies across the Commonwealth and beyond.
Hon. Sugath Wasantha de Silva, MP (Parliament of Sri Lanka) was awarded the 2026 New Parliamentarian Award in recognition of his contribution to promoting inclusive parliamentary democracy. Elected in November 2024 as Sri Lanka’s first-ever blind Member of Parliament, he has advanced the principles of disability-inclusive governance through his work as Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities. Through cross-institutional collaboration, he has also delivered practical reforms, best exemplified through Sri Lanka’s first national participatory budget consultation with persons with disabilities.
Hon. Babar Saleem Swati (Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan) was awarded the 2026 Parliamentary Equality and Diversity Award in recognition of his transformational and institutional leadership in advancing equality and inclusion. He has established parliamentary mechanisms including the Women Parliamentary Caucus, Minority Caucus and Child Rights Caucus, and piloted the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Parliamentary Caucus, the first of its kind in Asia and seventh in the world.
As part of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s mission to strengthen parliamentary democracy through the promotion of good governance and sharing best practice, the awards were launched in 2022 to recognise and highlight inspirational and active Parliamentarians for excelling in their field.
CPA Awards are open to nominees who are current Parliamentarians* across the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s unique membership includes almost 180 national, state, provincial and territorial Legislatures. The next awards will be open for nominees in 2027.
*Nominees should be sitting Members of Parliament in a Commonwealth Legislature or have been a sitting Member of Parliament in a Commonwealth Legislature in the award period. The award can be made posthumously. Please check the CPA website for full nomination criteria.
