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Comrade Vasu and his street fighter gab! - EDITORIAL

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22 May 2015 06:18 pm - 9     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa sometime back was toying with the idea of allowing the broadcast of Parliament sessions live on TV. As a result a couple of pay-TV service providers are currently broadcasting the Parliamentary sessions live. But the majority of the Sri Lankans still haven’t been able to digest the idea of paying to watch TV. Given what happened in the House on Thursday, we believe the Speaker should request at least the state-owned TV channels, which don’t charge for watching, to broadcast the live parliamentary sessions. It will provide people with an idea of whom they have elected to represent them at Parliament.

The use of derogatory language in Sri Lanka’s Parliament is nothing new and is nothing new for most other such assemblies of people’s representatives in many other countries as well.  Many parliamentarians have shown their real pedigree behind their pure white national garbs and custom-made western suits by uttering words, which shouldn’t have been uttered in a place like Parliament.

But this Thursday, Parliamentarian Vasudewa Nanayakkara took it to a different level as he used a word completely unbecoming of a Parliamentarian and of his rank as a respected senior politician to address Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. One could argue that MP Nanyakkara too to a certain extent was provoked to make such an utterance as well. During the heated exchange of words between Nanayakkara and Wickremesinghe, the Speaker was seen reminding them of the school children who may have been watching the Parliamentary sessions.

As the juicy words were expunged from the Parliament hansard many TV channels both state and privately-owned telecast the video clip of the incident during their news bulletins by muting the unparliamentarily uttering of Nanayakkara. Parliamentarian Nanayakkara appears to have forgotten his decorum and the respectability when using unparliamentary words despite him being the minister in charge of all matters pertaining to national languages of the previous government!

However, being the maverick dyed-in-the wool firebrand leftist politician that he is, this was not the first occasion when Nanayakkara ruffled a few feathers in parliament. In the late eighties and early nineties MP Nanayakkara was a bit of a rioter, having even lifted the Parliament Mace on an occasion when the House sessions ran into a storm. Despite age MP Nanayakkara seems to still have the same vigor of his younger days.

Also recently the Parliament’s decorum was brought into question when a group of parliamentarians decided to spend a night there. Newspapers were full of stories and photos, showing how they spent the night. Probably the Speaker on that day should have taken a stern decision not to allow this group of parliamentarians to spend the night in Parliament despite their demands. They should have carried out their protests during Parliamentary sessions and not in the night when there is no one in the premises.  

All in all discipline in the legislature is of paramount importance if one expects to discipline the society, since water always trickles down from the top and not the other way.

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  Comments - 9

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  • CITIZEN Saturday, 23 May 2015 02:14 PM

    He would have, perhaps, thought it is a "mental asylum" as a good number of his colleagues behave like inmates of the place! It is indeed, without doubt, unbecoming of a senior politician that he is and one who once upon a time a respected socialist!

    chandra Saturday, 23 May 2015 02:59 PM

    Out of parliament many people call Ranil worst things. This word is good in general terms but not suited to Ranil as he is not biological doing such things tbut he messes up every other thing. Real Ranil trained by JR is in action now. It is evident how he manipulates the Police. Same thing they did during un lawful handling of JVP insurrection and extra judicial killings for which no answers yet.Even MY3 cannot use power but Ranil. Actually politically and economically Sri Lanka in a mess. Thanks to Ranil, Ravi, Mangala, My3, Rajith and the clang.

    sunil abhayawardhane Saturday, 23 May 2015 03:00 PM

    With regard to parliamentary language I agree that it should not happen. As quite rightly mentioned, the PM provoked the whole thing. What is alarming is the deterioration of the Prime Ministers own conduct over the years and specially in the last 3 months. One expects him to have learned from great parliamentarians and not to behave like a first time MP. His own credibility is in question with the attempt to cover up the CBSL bond issue. When he now brings up previous CBSL bond sales as a red herring, the people feel let down by him. Therefore what happened in parliament that day should be viewed.

    paba Saturday, 23 May 2015 05:44 PM

    Schoolgirls got red in their faces, schoolboys were giggleing. Shame on Vasu and all others who talk like him in parliament.

    The citizen Saturday, 23 May 2015 06:08 PM

    This is what happened when uneducated people come to parliament! Country should be rule by educated people Not Pumpkin heads !

    willowsd Saturday, 23 May 2015 07:13 PM

    Vasu and the old guard of the red comrades are finish, so they are trying every trick in the book to score some brawny points but just waste of yime?

    uza Sunday, 24 May 2015 12:38 AM

    @chandra, here comes a Mahinda degree holder giving us a political analysis! Just cut the crap will you? Vasu just used pure filth in front of millions and you make analysis? Why not make an biography on vasu?

    suranjan Sunday, 24 May 2015 06:43 PM

    Vasu deva Nanayakkara has always been a typical caddishman brought by parents of a mixed race,has been educatedin a school where he was always found with cigerretes in his pockets.has been thuggish in nature.talks big with no action.wa in the 1971 JVP group with Roman wijeweera and somawansa amerasinghe.he was hiding during the 1971JVP insugency

    Koheda yanne Sunday, 24 May 2015 07:09 PM

    Spot bro..... RW was too lenient to call him pumpkin head.. it should have been D*** head!


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