Speaker upholds right of MPs to free expression of views in P’ment; refuses to efface Wigneswaran speech

• MPs from several parties call for Wigneswaran’s speech to be expunged
• Speaker says MPs have right to express views freely in House

By Chandani Kirinde

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena yesterday informed the House that a controversial speech made by Jaffna District MP C.V. Wigneswaran would not be expunged from Hansard and asserted the right of MPs to speak freely in the House.

Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena

“Every MP has a right to speak and express his or her views freely and that right is guaranteed in the House therefore TMTK MP C.V. Wigneswaran’s opening statement with references to Tamil homeland concept would not be expunged from the Hansard,” the Speaker said.

The Speaker’s ruling came in response to a Point of Order raised by Galle District SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara who said that the speech made by Wigneswaran had been printed in the unedited version of the parliamentary proceedings report.

“We raised a privilege matter in this House and pointed out that MP Wigneswaran’s statement with regard to Tamil homeland in the North and the East of the country was against the oath we had taken and demanded that it should be expunged. However, it is printed in the Hansard. This should be revised and the controversial statement should be removed,” Nanayakkara said.

However, Speaker Abeywardena overruled him.

“One MP has made a statement. He did it within his rights. He has the right to express his views freely. That right should be there. If there is any discrepancy that needs to be rectified, then you too could make a speech and express your views. The statement would not be removed from Hansard.”

“It does not matter whether the MP is from the government or the opposition. He has that right and you too have a right to express your views,” he said. Several other MPs spoke after the Speaker gave his ruling.

Kurunegala District SLPP MP Shantha Bandara supported Nanayakkara’s request to have the speech expunged. He said the Speaker had promised to look into this matter when the issue was first raised last Friday. “There is such a tradition that whenever an MP makes a statement against the Constitution or unparliamentary, the Chair is empowered to remove it from Hansard. 

“Therefore, we request the Speaker to remove this reference with regard to the traditional Tamil homeland concept,” Bandara said. 

SJB Kurunegala District MP Nalin Bandara said, “All MPs took an oath on the first day here that we would not support separatism directly or indirectly but within an hour after taking that oath MP Wingeswaran violated it. He should be expelled from this House. Does the Speaker think that the oath has no meaning?” he queried.

The Speaker’s decision not to expunge the speech won support from SBJ MP Rauff Hakeem said that the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act has ensured that each member has the freedom of speech in Parliament. 

“The Speaker in keeping with the Act made an order. If there is any violation of law in the country, then the matter could be complained to a police station rather than impinging on the privileges of the House. I think that the Speaker is perfectly right in his order.”

During his speech last Thursday,  Wigneswaran who started off with a few words in Tamil and then spoke in English in which he said, “I start my felicitations honourable Speaker, hailing you in my mother tongue, the oldest living language of this world, and the language of the first indigenous inhabitants of this country and proceed in the link language.”