Uniting over a national disaster

At a time the whole country is cast in a pail of sorrow and sympathy,both, Government and Opposition members stressed the need to shed differences and provide immediate relief to the people hit by the countrywide floods and landslides, when Parliament was convened for an urgent session on Wednesday (May 25) to discuss the disaster caused by floods and landslides and the Government's relief drive.

Participating in the debate on the Adjournment Motion by UNP Colombo District Parliamentarian S. M. Marikkar, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe drew the attention of the House to the flaws in the process of dealing with the disaster situations in the country and added that he had discussed it with President Maithripala Sirisena to streamline the existing mechanism to provide urgent relief to the victims.

The Premier said providing compensation to people affected by the adverse weather is of national importance. He also stressed the need to formulate new laws to deal with disaster management.

In peril

Former President and UPFA Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa who joined the debate stressed the need for both Government and Opposition members to shed all differences and provide relief to the disaster-hit people when the country is in peril.

The former President said, had there been an effective early warning system, the loss of lives and damage to property and vehicles could have been mitigated to a great extent. He said the responsibility of the politicians at this moment is not to criticize, but to do everything possible to help the affected people.

All Parliamentarians should do away with narrow political differences and focus on assisting the affected people, he stressed.

Joint Opposition Leader Dinesh Gunawardena who was critical of the Government's ambitious Megapolis Plan said it had ignored the development of the Kelani Valley area. He also queried as to why it took six days to convene the Presidential Disaster Committee in the aftermath of the current disaster.

Opposition Leader R.Sampanthan said the Government should realize the bitter truth that there is no way to prevent or stop natural disasters, but the only timely move is to lower its impact and minimize the damage and destruction. He went on to say that we do not have enough resources to implement plans to avoid or mitigate natural disasters.

Apology

Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the Government itself has no effective mechanism to face a natural calamity of this nature. There are many lapses in the coordination of disaster relief distribution. People came forward to help the affected people, but the Government could not properly coordinate it, he said.

Displaying his sincere commitment to uphold the dignity and decorum of the House, Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Minister Harin Fernando tendered an apology in Parliament on Wednesday (May 25) over the unparliamentary language he had used against Joint Opposition MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage on May 18.

The Minister told the House that he regretted and repented the mistake and assured the House that there would no recurrence of similar incidents in the future.

He pointed out that the Joint Opposition too resorted to obscene language and they called the Speaker 'Patholaya' and abused officials too. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya commended Minister Fernando for his apology and added that the Minister's act is be a blessing to his political career.

However, the Speaker warned that he would be compelled to take disciplinary action against Parliamentarians who had used abusive language on senior officers of Parliament and snatched their documents, if those responsible for such misdeeds would not tender an apology.

When the adjournment debate was going on, National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa brought to the notice of the Chair in raising a privilege issue that an officer of the Bribery Commission had come to Parliament to serve a notice on him.

Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala said the Speaker took steps to turn away the officer and if MP Weerawansa wished, he could make a written complaint to the Speaker in this regard. Later in the day, addressing a press conference in the Parliamentary complex, UPFA Ratnapura District MP Ranjith de Soysa said the Bribery Commission is doing nothing but supporting the witch-hunt project of the Government.

He said the Joint Opposition Members lodged 74 complaints against Government Ministers including the Prime Minister and tabled in Parliament a list of complaints they lodged with the Bribery Commission.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament that a petition filed by former Parliamentarian Sarath Weerasekara before Supreme Court against a ruling given by the Speaker on a resolution moved in Parliament on the National Government was contrary to the Constitution and also a breach of his Parliamentary privileges. Before the Adjournment debate, the Premier raising a privilege issue sought a ruling from the Speaker on this issue at a future sitting day.

Meanwhile, addressing a media briefing at the Parliamentary complex on Wednesday (May 25), the Joint Opposition warned that its MPs would refrain from respecting the Mace and the Speaker of Parliament if no punitive action was taken against those responsible for the recent voting fiasco in Parliament.

Voting fiasco

MP Wimal Weerawansa said they would not stand up when the Mace is brought or bow down to the Chair when entering and leaving the House as a mark of respect if the Speaker shirks his duty to punish those responsible for the vote crisis. Weerawansa also called upon the government to take action against those responsible for damaging an ancient Buddha statue belonging to the Anuradhapura period, at Temple Trees. He said if the Government is as accountable as they preached,, they should also punish those responsible for the damage caused to the Buddha statue.