Sri Lanka means Colombo North to UNPers

The responsible role to be played by both the print and the electronic media on reporting parliamentary proceedings was again brought into sharp focus on the floor of the House following a point of order raised by UPFA MP A.H.M. Azwer who alleged that a certain private television channel had telecasts an expunged version of a heated exchange of words between UNP MP Sujeewa Senasinghe and Construction and Engineering Services Minister Wimal Weerawansa.

This particular incident led both the Government and the Opposition members to air their views in an aggressive manner in the Chamber while the Opposition members attempted to make a big hue and cry on the issue.

MP Azwer in his Point of Order drew the attention of the House that a certain private television channel had telecast an unedited version of a speech by MP Senasinghe in Parliament on Tuesday. Azwer queried as to how that particular private television channel had telecast all these abusive words when the Deputy Chairman of Committees Chandrakumar Murugesu who presided had instructed to expunge these by the MP from Hansard.

Azwer was also critical as to how that unedited CD was released to the media. However, the Opposition members who protested against Azwer’s remarks questioned his right to make such remarks. The Opposition members continued to oppose Azwer’s speech and several points of Order. MP Senasinghe asked the Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody who presided whether he had received any written document from Azwer on the subject. However, Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardene who responding to the Opposition in an aggressive manner said that MP Azwer had raised the question about Parliamentary proceedings being reported wrongly. Minister Gunawardene maintained that MP Azwer had the right to raise his Point of Order as he was referring to the conduct of the proceedings of the House.

UNP Parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa raising a Point of Order alleged that Azwer was resorting to character assassination of MP Senasinghe under the pretext of a Point of Order. Countering MP Premadasa Azwer queried as to how the expunged version of a speech was telecast by a private television channel violating Parliamentary procedures. MP Senasinghe and Minister Wimal Weerawansa had a verbal exchange on Tuesday accusing each other of allegedly taking bribes. When MP Senasinghe was speaking during the debate on four financial bills, Minister Weerawansa raising a Point of Order accused him of soliciting a bribe from a foreign company and challenged him to deny if it is not so. Categorically denying the allegation he said he didn’t have any dealings with that foreign company.

This led the two furious members to a heated exchange on the floor of the House. At times MP Senasinghe even resorted to unparliamentary language in accusing Minister Weerawansa. A large number of schoolchildren was also at the public gallery when the two parliamentarians clashed.

When MP Senasinghe wound up his speech, National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara raising a point of Order asked the Deputy chairman of Committees whether the unparliamentary words will be allowed in the Hansard is its original form. The Deputy Chairman of Committees assured the House that all such words will be expunged from the Hansard. Minister Weerawansa also requested the Chair to expunge them and issue only the edited copy of its CD to the media.

He had doubts that a private television channel would telecast the unedited version. MP Senasinghe maintained that he didn’t directly refer to the conduct of any Government Minister by name. Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody told the House that the visuals telecast by that television channel would be checked to ascertain whether it had telecast anything which is not in the CD issued by the Parliament. He also assured the House that an inquiry would be held and the attention of the Speaker would be drawn to appoint a special committee to look into this matter.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the main issue raised by Azwer was how the unedited copy of the CD was taken away from Parliament. If there was any breach of privilege of Parliament due to this incident, it should be looked into, he said. Wickremasinghe however, stressed the need to look into the overall question of live telecasting and broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings. Responding to the Opposition Leader, Minister Dinesh Gunawardene told the House that both the Government and the Opposition had agreed to permit live telecast of Parliamentary proceedings, but the issue was to find the requisite funding.

The Opposition Leader suggested that the Speaker should summon the Party Leaders and decide on the funding. During the week in Parliament, the issue of telecasting the unedited version of MP Senasinghe’s speech by a private television channel turned into a hot topic on the floor of the House as some Opposition MPs attempted to make a big hue and cry by quoting the Standing Orders of Parliament.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake had a heated argument on Friday over the adjournment debate on former Venezuelian President Hugo Chavez. When the motion was ready to be taken up the Opposition Leader pointed out that a condolence vote on former President Chavez had been

passed in the House on March 08 and as such there was no need for another debate at the adjournment time. MP Dissanayake who was furious over the Opposition Leader’s remarks insisted that the motion should be moved. At the commencement of business of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told that the Orders under Section 3 of the Stamp Duty (Special Provisions) Act would be taken up for debate. Raising a point of order, the Opposition Leader demanded to know whether the entire day had been allocated for the debate on stamp duty. MP Dissanayake alleged that when they talked about Chavez, Yankee agents in Sri Lanka become perturbed. The American puppets get perturbed whenever that hear of Chavez. Dissanayake said they would not panic in this attempt by Wickremesinghe to prove that they are US agents. He said that the motion was discussed at the Party Leaders’ meeting and the UNP representative who participated in the meeting should have told his Leader of the decision arrived at.

The Opposition Leader said that it was Fidel Castro who opposed the US in that region and said he also expressed his condolences over the demise of Chavez. He told the House in lighter vein that he hadn’t taken any money from Chavez, Maharaja or Tiran. The Opposition Leader alleged that the JVP supported the Government’s intention of postponing the no confidence debate on Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera by bringing up the adjournment motion on Chavez. He said that he did not mind if the JVP MP wants to play second fiddle to the Government.

Opposition members also made various remarks on the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport. Senior Minister for International Monetary Corporation and Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama who responded to certain remarks by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake on the Mattala airport focused the attention of the House on the importance of constructing a second runway in the country. Dr. Amunugama explained to the House how the most underprivileged area in the country has undergone a massive transformation after opening the Mattala airport. The Minister asked whether any UNP MP had ever gone to Mattala and seen the significant development there.

He told the House in lighter vein that some UNP MPs thought Sri Lanka was only Colombo North. He said that UNP MPs should be sent to the Mattala airport by providing them concessionary half-rate air tickets so that they can see for themselves the progress in the area. He said though MP Ravi Karunanayake speaks about Mattala, he had never visited the place.