Code for professionalism

The Code of Conduct (CoC) for Sri Lanka’s lawmakers is expected to be implemented over the next few weeks but to be truly effective it must be strictly put into action. 

The CoC comprises eight sections namely, purpose of the code, scope of the code, duties of MPs, general principles of conduct, rules of conduct, upholding the code, enforcement and making and updating the code.

Some of its salient points include the declaration by MPs of sufficient information regarding their business relationships and financial interests, including information of close family members, and not participating in debates or voting in matters in which he/she has a particular direct pecuniary interest. This would provide a huge leap in transparency.

The CoC also lays down strict rules for use of public property by lawmakers. It prohibits the acceptance of any form of inducement that would give rise to conflict of interest or influence their conduct as MPs, engaging in paid lobbying, paid parliamentary advice or paid advocacy.

The CoC also makes reference to civility and the behaviour of MPs. At present, MPs are governed by Standing Orders of Parliament on how they should conduct themselves in the House, with specific guidelines for members speaking in Parliament and for members not speaking but these are often ignored.

The envisaged new rules for MPs will, however, not take away the special immunity they are entitled to under the Parliament (Powers & Privileges) Act.

Corruption and politics are considered by many to merely represent two sides of the same coin in the moral and ethical wasteland that is Sri Lankan politics. The pervasive nature of this belief, which cuts across the total spectrum of Sri Lankan society, is the direct result of decades of rampant political corruption perpetrated by members from all major political parties at one time or another.

It is in this context that the public must now look at the newest move to usher in a higher calibre of politician. Parliamentarians routinely fail to even be polite to each other during debates much less upholding principals of good governance. Efforts to clean up the political sphere and reduce corruption have been hamstrung by legal constraints, lack of resources and efforts by party leaders to shield their own space by protecting loyalists. The buck passing is not likely to stop and the public are fast losing faith in the change that promised so much.

There is little to no doubt over how an elected Member of Parliament should behave but there are several question marks over the repercussions suffered by those who fail to adhere to the law of the land. At present, there are few if you are part of the present administration.

Therefore what we need from this new Code of Conduct for MPs is, more than guidelines for conduct, guidelines for accountability.