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Teetering on the brink of a battle in the House :
Parliament is known as the supreme legislature in every country, and it is the
responsibility of every people’s representative to uphold its dignity and
decorum. The occasional phenomenon of fisticuffs, use of un-parliamentary
language and lurid references to the personal lives of members or at times
outsiders, has become a new trend to the detriment of democratic parliamentary
politics. In post independent Parliament, arguments or disagreements ended up
with shaking hands, tendering an open apology or withdrawing the objectionable
words in the true spirit of comradeship. The glorious days of NM, Philip,
Colvin, Benard, Dudley, JR, SWRD and Keunaman to mention a few stalwarts who
conducted themselves as model debaters, despite some of them being adherents of
turbulent Marxist politics, are worthwhile recalling, even long after their
demise. However, things have radically changed today.
Deputy Speaker, Thilanga Sumathipala in an interview with the Sunday Observer
said that now the country is waiting to see what action the respective political
parties will take against the MPs who have been named and suspended by
Parliament. If the political parties tolerate such behaviour, Parliament will be
helpless, he said. |
