Who speaks for the people?

Tuesday, 1 August 2017 00:05 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Parliament is an old and revered institution. Countries that adopted the parliamentary system of governance did so understanding the centuries-long episodes of bloodshed and bargaining that went into its formation. Parliament has always held pride of place as a forum that allowed for the representatives of the people to speak truth to power. 

Sri Lanka’s rich parliamentary tradition has been severely dented over the decades and people have gradually lost faith in the institution. This is largely because of the behaviour of those they represent in the House. The bad language and even worse actions of parliamentarians of different parties over many governments have pushed people beyond the point of tolerance. 

For the most part the loss of reputation is because the behaviour of parliamentarians has deteriorated unchecked. Last Friday, when Parliament was scheduled to debate two significant developments, the breakdown of discipline resulted in Parliament sessions ending prematurely. Members of the Joint Opposition then took matters into their own hands.      

Media personnel, packing up their notebooks, were startled by the Quorum bell, and when returning to their seats were surprised to see the parody being put on display by some members of the Joint Opposition with one going so far as to occupy the Speaker’s chair as well as the chair reserved for the President. Still others delivered fiery speeches, much to the amusement of the media and parliamentary officials who had little choice but to be bystanders to the spectacle. 

The ill-timed activities of the Joint Opposition also meant the controversial declaration of fuel as an essential service and the alleged mistreatment of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) union members by police and, allegedly, underworld gangs were not debated in Parliament.     

To add insult to injury all these disruptive activities in Parliament last week only deprived Opposition members of an opportunity to debate very important issues. On Wednesday, amidst chaotic scenes in the Chamber, the Government rushed through seven finance regulations and one Bill in the record time of less than 10 minutes, according to media reports.

The end result was a lost opportunity to debate the economic situation in the country and more importantly, discuss the contentious Hambantota Port Agreement which was scheduled for debate on Friday. Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe tabled the agreement in the House on Tuesday and a full day was allocated to debate it on Friday but it was not to be.

The behaviour of Joint Opposition members is hardly unique. Unruly behaviour on all sides of the well has prompted the drafting of a Code of Conduct for parliamentarians. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on numerous occasions has cautioned, counselled and called out the catcallers but to little avail. All parliamentarians have to remember they have been elected to serve the people and push for equitable policymaking that achieves the best possible standard of life for the people who voted for them. 

The gap between the people and Parliament is increasing steadily and unless parliamentarians understand the gravity of their actions, this space will become a chasm.     

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