Recent incidents brought Parliament into disrepute- Malwatte Mahanayake

By Shane Seneviratne  

The Mahanayake of the Malwatte Chapter Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera, said on Saturday that some MPs had in the recent past acted in a manner that desecrated the prestige of the House of Parliament and these ugly scenes brought disrepute to our country internationally.  

He said so when the newly appointed Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena called on the Mahanayakas of Malwathu and Asgiriya chapters to receive their blessings after paying homage at the Historical Tooth Relic at the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.   

The Mahanayakas of both chapters welcomed the Speaker and stated that Mahinda Yapa possess the knowledge and the expertise of the position of Speaker having functioned as a Member of Parliament over a long period, and he being a non-partisan individual would be able to perform the duties of that position impartially and everyone should extend their cooperation to him.   

Mahanayake of the Malwatte Chapter expressed hope that the new Speaker would conduct the affairs of Parliament in a manner that would uphold the respect and prestige of the House while protecting the rights of the members of parliament irrespective of their party affiliations.