Parliament

Private Members' motions:

'Parliament should change according to modern requirements'

Sandasen MARASINGHE and Disna MUDALIGE

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided, when Parliament met at 1.30 p.m yesterday. After the presentation of papers and oral questions, the House took up the private member motions for debate.

Ravi Karunanayake (UNP): I present my private member motion with regard to the pre-Budget Debate prior to passing of the Budget. I suggest that this Parliament resolves that, like in India and the United Kindom, there must be a pre-Budget debate on estimates provided 3 months before passing of the Budget in order to mitigate and rectify any adverse or unfavourable impacts.

The Budget estimates must have been carefully decided.

The country's future should not be belittled and the country's entire year should not be allowed to rest upon sudden decisions arrived on in a single day.

The government's powerful ministers bolstered that Sri Lanka's foreign reserves have been increased and that the country's economy would not fall, despite severe economic crises in the globe.

Ranjan Ramanayake (UNP): I second the motion. This proposal is a timely one. Therefore, I suggest that it should be seconded with the support of members of both sides of the well.

Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister and Leader of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva: The government has no objections for strengthening Parliament's democracy. The procedure of the Parliament should change according to modern requirements.

A similar experiment to this proposal was conducted by the Government 2 years ago by holding discussions on budget proposals through the Standing Committees.

During the meetings of these Standing Committees, representatives of all parties worked together with good understanding, without resorting to petty political gains. I chaired this committee on both occasions.

Ravi Karunanayake MP, frequently speaks about the country's economy in the House. But almost all the time, he was of the view that the economy of the country would fall down tomorrow and the country would step into a dark era.

However, under the President's leadership, we have proved that our economy was strong.

The road network have been improved and for the first time in history we have received a record paddy harvest. Today our economy is flourishing and the per capital income is growing.

Today the unemployment rate in the US is 20% whereas, the rate in Sri Lanka is just 5%. No government had perfect economic policies. We have to pay attention to weaknesses and we are ready to rectify them and move forward.

Karunanayake MP also commented about the LLRC and Geneva Summit. The diplomatic team sent by Sri Lanka to this summit was trying to do its best to shield the country. This government would not allow the betrayal of our war heroes at any time.

Ravi Karunanayake (UPFA): I thank the minister for responding to the motion. Eventhough the government says that it was ready to admit its shortcomings, it does not practically prove it.

Thilanga Sumathipala (UNP): I present my private member motion with regard to the protecting of the professional dignity of the medical field.

Deputy Chairman of Committees Chandrakumar Murugesu takes the Chair.

Thilanga Sumathipala (Continues): I suggest that the professional dignity of the medical field should be protected by acting properly, efficiently and lawfully.

Patients are faced with grave problems and have become immensely helpless due to doctors without necessary professional qualifications and experience practising in local and international medical fields.

Sometimes professionally qualified doctors in the medical field had been a disgrace to society as a result of Therefore it is imperative to take measures to protect the dignity of the medical field.

Today medical degrees could be obtained without much efforts in foreign universities, that are questionable about the quality of them.

'Unqualified doctors, a risk to humanity'

Sudarshani Fernandopulle (UPFA): Today doctors have a good reputation in Sri Lanka as well as overseas. There is great competition among students to be doctors. Students who have failed to enter medical faculties, make an attempt to be doctors by doing degrees overseas. Only talented students become doctors. But the entrance of persons who have not fully qualified into the profession, was a risk to the health and life of patients.

Those doctors who were not qualified and trained, were not aware of how to diagnose an illness and provide treatment. So stern laws should be taken against such persons. Some persons who had done their medical degrees overseas, usually practice at private hospitals without being registered in the Medical Council. So laws should be imposed to make it compulsory for a doctor to get himself registered at the Medical Council before practicing.

Dr Rohana Pushpakumara (UPFA): This is a timely topic. Doctors without proper qualifications have caused serious problems to the public. In the past, there had been AMPs and RMPs to treat patients in the health sector. They had rendered a great service to uplift the health of the public.

Students who enter medical faculties in our country, were most talented students in the world. There was a proper mechanism to evaluate the qualification of a doctor.There were politicians who have obtained services from illegal abortion centers. So if those politicians dare to defend these illegal doctors, there was no means to uplift the professional values of doctors.

Health Deputy Minister Lalith Dissanayake: Free education had produced these valuable doctors. The member who moved this motion, had neglected the doctors who practice indigenous medicine. During the past, our Ayurveda Vedamahattaya treated patients though they had not been registered.

Homeopathy is another method of treating patients. There have been great indigenous doctors who were able to cure various diseases, which could not be cured by the doctors under discussion today. The other matter of concern was that students who had qualified overseas. They follow their degrees at universities which have been approved by the UGC. So they spend enormous amounts of money on these degrees.

These graduates should be provided training without a test and should be absorbed as doctors, since there has been a shortage of doctors in the country. The maternity mortal rate had been 44.5 per 100,000, which was appreciable and the best rate in the region.

Thilanga Sumathipala (UPFA): The members have presented a very valuable clan of doctors. The Anuradhapura hospital had conducted a massive number of operations during the war period.

Deputy Chairman of Committees, Chandrakumar Murugesu in Chair: Now MP A H M Azwer may move the Private Member's Bill.

Quaziz Court system should be elevated

A H M Azwer (UPFA): A higher position should be given to the Quaziz court system. I suggest that this Parliament is of the opinion that the Quaziz court system that was established in Sri Lanka under the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Ordinance of 1929 and subsequently amended under the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act in 1951, be upgraded.

The Act must be upgraded with powers vested with the Quaziz judges to adjudicate upon all matters concerned with disputes arising in Muslim families.The status of the Quaziz Court system must also be upgraded in such a manner, where sittings could be held in premises congenial to the dignity of the system and as the Quaziz judges are appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, they should be placed on a respectable and an acceptable salary structure, payable to other judicial officers.

Aslam Mohammed Saleem (UPFA): I second the motion. This is an important and timely motion. There had been very good proposals in this private member motion. Attention should be paid to raise the salaries of the Quaziz judges. Their salaries had not been adequate, compared to other judicial officers. Laws with regard to Muslim marriages should be amended. There are about 65 Quaziz Courts in the country.

Hunais Farook (UPFA): In my last Budget speech, I observed the importance of upgrading laws with regard to Muslims. Today this proposal has been presented to the House by MP A H M Azwer and we are grateful over this proposal. The Sharia laws and laws with regard to Hajj pilgrimage should be upgraded.

Amending the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act is necessary

Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem: I must thank MP Azwer for refreshing even my memory with regard to the history of Quaziz Courts system and Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act. During the past few years, the committee appointed to look into the amendments needed to the Muslim law had undertaken a tremendous task. In fact, the committee was now on the verge of completing its task.

There had been a number of recommendations of the committee and I would look into them after the committee concludes its work and submits the report. Muslim marriage and divorce laws will be revised too after analyzing the recommendations. I will try my best to introduce these amendments during my tenure as justice minister.

I will act upon the recommendations of the committee and will seek Cabinet approval too. The report of the committee would be submitted to me at its earliest.

A H M Azwer (UPFA): I thank the minister for his encouraging words on the issues I have raised. I look forward eagerly towards the amendments.

Deputy Chairman of Committees Chandrakumar Murugesu in Chair:

The Private Members' Bill would be referred to the Standing Committees.

The House adjourned until 1 pm on March 20.

House approves Keheliya Rambukwella's, Duminda Silva's leave

Parliament yesterday approved two proposals to grant three months' leave for Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and UPFA Colombo District MP Duminda Silva.

The proposals were presented to the House by Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

Accordingly, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has been granted a period of three months' leave from 22nd of this month and MP Duminda Silva has been granted leave from 24th of this month.

They will be permitted to be absent in Parliament sittings during these three months. DNA MP Sunil Handunnetti, raising a point of order, requested that the present where abouts of MP Duminda Silva be revealed, adding that the Leader of the House would be aware of where the MP was currently residing, as there was an arrest warrant issued to him by court when presenting his leave proposal.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa at this point said that it was not relevant to this proposal.

Opposition Leader demands confirmation on security system

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday demanded a confirmation in Parliament that he was entitled to use bullet and blast proof vehicles and other vehicles supplied to him by the government for his personal security. He made this demand, raising a privilege issue.

He also stated that as the Opposition Leader, the Speaker and several other members whose lives have been under threat, had been supplied with bullet and blast proof vehicles.

He said that security personnel and other vehicles have also been provided for his security and they were available at all times. He also added that the security personnel assigned to him by the government, ascertain his security needs, depending on circumstances. He added that the same practice had been applied to all. All vehicles belong to the Presidential Security Division.

He also demanded confirmation that these vehicles remain the property of the government and restrictions would be imposed for use of those vehicles. The Opposition Leader also requested the Speaker to take necessary action on the incident of annexing a letter he submitted to the Speaker as a Parliament internal document, in the petition on which the Colombo District Court issued an interim injunction restraining the Colombo Municipal Council from renting out or leasing any portion of the Mayor's Center at No 18, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 7.

He said that the act violated the Parliamentary privileges. Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa stated that the privilege matter raised by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would be immediately referred to the Privileges Committee.

'Govt to reap harvest of 3,650 million coconuts in 2016'

Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Minister Jagath Pushpakumara, yesterday stated that the government would take measures to reap a 3,650 million coconut harvest in 2016. He made this observation in response to a question raised by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake.

The minister said that to achieve this target, 6 million coconut saplings had been delivered among the farmers, adding that 320 million saplings would be delivered among farmers during next year. The minister further stated that the relevant bills would be presented in Parliament soon, to ban coconut lands above five acres being divided into blocks for sale, adding that the existing law prohibited the dividing of coconut estates above 10 acres.

The minister further stated that the coconut harvest in 2011 had yielded about 2,810 million coconuts. He said that the coconut harvest was 7,112 coconuts per hectare.