Speaker gets tough with two UNP MPs

Defiance shown to orders from Chair:

Sandasen MARASIGHE and Irangika RANGE

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa yesterday threatened to remove two UNP MPs from the Chamber when they defied orders given from the Chair.

Hambantota district UNP MP Sajith Premadasa was the first to face the reproach of the Speaker when he attempted to speak on being told that the Speaker had decided to put off a question raised by the UNP MP when doubts were raised if the same question had not been asked about a month ago.

“I will postpone the question till next week until I can make sure if this question is not being repeated,” Speaker Rajapaksa said when UPFA MP A H M Azwer raised a point of order on the grounds that Premadasa had raised the same question on the wild elephant population in the country last month and was given a comprehensive answer.

However when Premadasa attempted to speak, the Speaker asked him to abide by his decision.

“Do you want to leave the Chamber?” the Speaker asked him following which the UNP MP sat down.

Later, Premadasa was allowed to ask the question after Speaker Rajapaksa said it was differently worded from the one raised in May.

Later in the day, UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella too faced a similar situation when he queried why the Speaker had rejected a UNP motion on the cancellation of the speech by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the Commonwealth Economic Forum.

“I have made my decision and informed you,” the Speaker said and when Kiriella continued to argue, the Speaker asked him to leave the Chamber.

However things cooled down soon with Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe intervening. It was decided to discuss the matter at a party leaders’ meeting later in the day.