Speaker defends Members’ right of expression

Parliamentary Corrs

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa yesterday stated that any Member in Parliament has the right to express his opinion and the rest should have the patience to listen to him.

The Speaker also queried from the Members in the House if a Member in whatever party has no right to express his opinion what was the freedom guaranteed in Parliament?

The Speaker was expressing his views at the tense situation in Parliament yesterday during the statement made by Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in response to a statement by UNP MP Jayalath Jayawardena on the previous day’s commotion.

The Speaker also stated that making allegations against a Parliamentarian without substantiating them is wrong.

The Speaker pointing out that to commence a debate after a Member’s statement was not the practice and did not allow UPFA Member A H M Azwer and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to make statements subsequently. When MP Jayalath Jayawardena rose to make his statement, Deputy Health Minister Lalith Dissanayake stated ‘Tiger’.

The Speaker ordered Deputy Minister Lalith Dissanayake to withdraw the word or to leave the Chamber.

The Speaker added that if the Deputy Minister did not stop disturbing proceedings he would suspend Deputy Minister Lalith Dissanayake from attending Parliament for one week.

At this stage UPFA Member A H M Azwer also rose to speak.

Speaker: Member Azwer do not interrupt unnecessarily.

After Minister Dinesh Gunawardena made his statement, Member A H M Azwer stood requesting to raise a point of order.

A H M Azwer: MP Jayalath Jayawardena mentioned my name.

Speaker: He did not mention your name.

You mentioned his name. You always disturb and create commotions raising point of orders. Now you sit down.

You are the one who started it. After a statement a debate on it cannot be allowed.

A H M Azwer: Don’t you allow?

Speaker: No.

Later on Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe rose to speak.

The Speaker did not allow him saying a debate cannot be allowed on the same matter. When a tense situation erupted, the Speaker warned twice that he would adjourn Parliament.

Finally the Speaker ordered that the House commence the committee stage debate on the Appropriation Bill 2011.