Speaker issues statement on Parliament’s conduct
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has stated that it is “unfortunate that coming up with sustainable ideas and solutions to successfully deal with the crisis was rarely visible” during the ongoing debate on the current economic crisis.He said this by making an announcement in Parliament today (07).
The public too, have been highly critical of the conduct of most MPs for continuously playing the blame game for political gains instead of working towards an immediate solution to resolve the crisis.
The complete announcement by the Speaker is as follows :
Hon. Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the House, Chief Government Whip and the Opposition, Ministers and Members of Parliament, I thank all Members of Parliament of both the Government and the Opposition, for expressing your views during yesterday’s debate on the current economic crisis, as agreed by the House. It is unfortunate that coming up with sustainable ideas and solutions to successfully deal with the crisis was rarely visible during this debate. Obstructing the order of business at the beginning of the debate, the need to suspend the House at two instances should not happen at such a crucial juncture in my purview. Although not publicized by media, the views expressed by Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara and Hon. (Dr.) Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe are very important and are matter that need the attention of the House. they emphasized that all of us, irrespective of party affiliation, should immediately formulate a common program to overcome this crisis, regardless of political motives. Also, it is regrettable that all Members of Parliament yesterday, as usual, raised the issue of political crisis in the House. Having this in mind during today’s proceedings, I urge all of you to work towards a suitable agenda that we can all agree on at the end of the debate.