The initiation

Orienting new parliamentarians to best discharge their duties as legislators:

In the country’s foremost lawmaking body – the Parliament – the ‘freshers’ or the first-time legislators gathered last week in a committee room for their ‘orientation’ – both to the House and the parliamentary practice. Introduced post the 1977 general election with aspects being added with the passage of time, all parliamentarians who enter the House for the first time are given an introduction to the building, on accessing parliamentary services and the overall functioning as a Member of Parliament. This includes the conduct, attire and the discharge of duties as a parliamentarian.This year, following the August 17 parliamentary elections, over a third of 225 elected and nominated legislators – all of them fresh-faced and new – attended an orientation which, according to parliamentary officials, is the “first step to prepare legislators for the job of an MP.” “It is a program that seeks to ‘orient’ parliamentarians to best discharge their duties as legislators,” says the current Secretary General of Parliament, Dhammika Dassanayake, who also considers it part of the parliamentary process.

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