UNP disrupts proceedings

Yet another futile attempt by the UNP on Wednesday to disrupt parliamentary proceedings under the pretext of a motion by UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera as a matter of urgent importance botched, when Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa turned it down since the UNP had already submitted a no-confidence motion against the Government on the same issue which was scheduled to be taken up for debate in April.

When the day's business of the House under the Order Paper commenced, UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera attempted to give a wrong impression to the House that Sri Lanka is gaining international 'recognition' as the heroin hub in South Asia and alleged that the Government was not taking any steps to overcome this menace. The MP proposed that this issue should be taken up for debate as an urgent matter. The Speaker held the view that the proposal by MP Perera was similar in its content to the no-confidence motion submitted by his party.

MP Perera who didn't agree with the decision of the Chair contended that according to the Standing Orders if 20 parliamentarians make a request to take up any matter of urgent importance, the Speaker could acknowledge it without going by the scheduled program. The UNP MPs, however stood up with placards shouting anti-government slogans. Despite the continuous disturbances, the Speaker called upon MP Perera and other protesting UNP members to read the Standing Orders. Even if 20 members make a request for a debate on a issue that had not been included in the Order Paper, the final decision lies with the Speaker to permit or reject it, the Speaker said. He ruled that the House should continue with the previously agreed program for the day.

Despite the Speaker's ruling the UNP members who walked to the well of the House with their placards and uttered anti-government slogans. While the UNP MPs were staging their protest, President Mahinda Rajapaksa was in the Parliamentary complex attending the consultative committee meetings of the Ministries of Defence and Law and Order. The President attended Parliament around 1.30 pm and after he left the Chamber, UNP members launched their protest. The DNA and TNA members remained silent on their seats observing their colleagues shouting and displaying placards. Amidst the protest, UPFA MP A.H.M. Azwer raising a Point of Order alleged that the UNP is attempting to turn the House into an election platform. Azwer said nobody can contravene the Standing Orders of the House. He said the Speaker has the powers to send unruly members out of the Chamber. Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardene said that only the UNP MPs were standing and shouting in the Chamber while other Opposition members remained in their seats. The Minister did not hesitate to point out the notable absence of UNP MP Sajith Premadasa in UNP's protest campaign.

Although the UNP members continuously demanded that the Chair should permit the proposal by MP Joseph Michael Perera, the Speaker sticked to his ruling. In lighter vein he said the UNP MPs looked tired and as such needed a rest after shouting so intensely. The Speaker suspended the sittings for 15 minutes for the UNP Mps to take a break. The UNP MPs while being in the Chamber continued shouting even after the sittings had been suspended. Later they left the Chamber leaving the placards on their tables. The House resumed sittings after 15 minutes and the day's program in the Order Paper continued with the UNP MPs participating in the debate.

The following day MP Azwer raising a Point of Order drew the attention of the Speaker to the fact that the UNP MPs had smuggled posters to the Chamber on the previous day and displayed them. The MP described this as a serious security threat to Parliament. In his a negative response to Azwer's remarks, the speaker told the House that the MPs have a right to display placards in the House. He said bringing posters into the Chamber is not a problem. If the Government members wish to display posters in the chamber they are free to do so. Nobody could bring anything harmful to Parliament as there are adequate equipment to monitor and detect them.

Pandemonium reigned in the House on Thursday after UPFA MP A.H.M. Azwer was called upon by the Speaker to preside over while the debate on Medical (Amendment) Bill was in progress. UNP parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne raising a Point of Order said that there had been an understanding between the two sides that Azwer would not preside over sittings as Opposition MPs had no faith in his ability to act in an impartial manner. Despite the loud protests from the few UNP MPs in the House, MP Azwer initially refused to leave the Chair.

Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake said that MP Azwer was more conversant with Standing Orders of Parliament than most Opposition MPs and he was fully qualified to preside over the sittings. The Minister also made the point that Azwer's name was also in the Speaker's panel of MPs who have been selected to preside during his absence. However, the strong protests from UNP parliamentarians forced presiding member Azwer to leave the Speaker's Chair and Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody took over. Before Thursday's debate commenced MP Wickramaratne who raised another Point of Order called upon the Speaker to look into whether most of the Points of Order raised by MP Azwer are Point of Orders or not. The MP alleged in most instances Azwer used this opportunity only to disturb the Opposition members.

In a very significant gesture, President Rajapaksa who attended Parliamentary sittings on Wednesday extended his best wishes to Senior Minister for Good Governance Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka who completed 54 years as a parliamentarian. The President who arrived at the Chamber around 1.25 p.m. occupied his chair in the front row of the Government side. The President said something jokingly across the well of the House to the Opposition Leader and shared a joke with UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera.

What transpired across the well of the House was not audible to the gallery as the microphones were switched off but all seemed to have enjoyed what the President had said. After, Senior Minister Wickramanayaka responded to a question by UNP MP Ajith P. Perera, the President with the permission of the House said Minister Wickramanayaka first entered Parliament on a day such as today 54 years ago, on March 19, 1960.

The President said Minister Wickramanayaka was the most senior parliamentarian in this House today and we congratulate him on the completion of 54 years in Parliament.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe also joined the President to congratulate Minister Wickramanayaka who has served as a Deputy Minister, Minister and Prime Minister and Senior Minister. Wickremesinghe recalled that when he was the Opposition Leader, Minister Wickramanayaka was the Prime Minister and when he became the Prime Minister, Wickramanayaka was the Opposition Leader for some time.

"We could learn many lessons from his longstanding political career. He became an MP on the day I entered Royal College. We both have been in politics for a long time. He entered Parliament when there was a UNP Government in power and I have no doubt that Minister Wickramanayaka would continue to be in Parliament as an MP when the next UNP Government comes to power, Wickremesinghe said.