Is Parliament's dignity under threat- Let us establish a Parliamentary research service

By K. Godage
It appears that everyone  is moaning at the qualitative decline of Parliamentary debate in our country; this is indeed a shame for the standard of debate and the conduct of our Parliamentarians which was very high in the good old days  - though the government understands the problem and Mr. Speaker is himself concerned, as reported in the papers, Government it appears does not deem it an urgent and important matter;  it is therefore incumbent on us the people to do what we can, to at least raise the quality of debates, for it is in our interest to do so: Was it not Plato who stated that  there is no matter more important and noble than the making of the laws of society; he even stated that only those most qualified should be entrusted with the noble task and no one else.

The situation is so bad that the Speaker himself sought to stop the live broadcast of proceeding. I can very well understand that the Speaker's concern would not be to protect Parliamentarians from exposing themselves, as to protect our children and youth from getting a bad impression from the conduct of Members of the highest legislative body of the land, which is entrusted with the sacred duty of making the laws of the land and should be looked upon with respect.  (Was there not an instance when a Member squeezed the 'tonsils' of a Member who was a Monk?)   

 In the old days in our country the Government and the Opposition debated very intensely on most issues but both sides conducted themselves in a civil manner and the language was almost   never rude and never did they resort to filth, they valued their self respect. Whatever has happened that we have come to this sorry pass. Let us and our Parliamentarians in the New Year that has dawned, make a resolution that they must safeguard their self respect.

Let us in the first instance help our Legislators to improve the quality of their contribution by, like in the US, establishing  a Parliamentary Research Service, this would also be an opportunity for our University Youth, our leaders of the future, to do an 'apprenticeship' of sorts in Parliament. This would be good for the country and would serve us well. I am certain that the US Government would be happy to help us establish such a Research Centre. The second issue is that we must continue to broadcast 'Live' the proceedings of Parliament. We the people, are sovereign and have a right to demand this as a right for we must see and know how those we have elected to Parliament conduct themselves and must know of the contributions they make to debate in our interest. There would of course be those who would object but we must have transparency in every sense of that word. Let us name and shame those who object to the live broadcasting of the proceedings of Parliament  Let us also at the same time find out the names of those who are objecting to the restoration of real democracy and the dumping of the present electoral system and the implementation of the Dinesh Gunawardena Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee.

I urge our people of all communities to whom this country belongs and who inhabit our country to rise up and demand that the government respects us, the people, who are said to be sovereign in the Constitution itself. Yes, let us have our rights recognized. Civil Society and the media have a responsibility, they must take up the cause and must give leadership. Let us start 2014 on this auspicious note.