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Why make such a pandemonium about a speech made in Parliament ?

By Charles Perera

Anura Bandaraike’s speech in the Parliament is being criticised and
the President, the Ministers and Parliamentarians are busy telephoning and visiting the Indian Embassy to apologise to the Ambassador disowning what had been said in the Parliament by the Minister of Tourism. It is a shame……..to become servile to that extent.

A Parliament is a place where a Member of Parliament may say any thing he wants without fear or fervour. He is speaking as a representative of the people, and he is protected by the Parliamentary immunity. In the United Kingdom, a members of the House of Lords and House of Commons may speak freely before those houses without fear of legal action on the grounds of libel. However, there are certain words and phrases which are considered unparliamentary and the Speaker has the right to demand the member to withdraw such words or phrases.

Otherwise whatever is said by a MP in the well of the Parliament cannot be used against him out side the Parliament. If not one is curtailing the freedom of speech of a representative of the people robbing him of his privilege.

Therefore, whatever had been said by Mr. Anura Bandaranaile as a representative of the people cannot be questioned even in a court of law, leave alone the disciplinary committee of the SLFP. If it is challenged it should be challenged in the Parliament.

Anura Bandaranaike, as a Minister and an MP may even make a critical speech about what Sonia Gandhi had said about non-intervention of India in Sri Lanka’s fight against terrorism,and ask her to be....., with out making it necessary for the President to telephone Mme Gandhi to apologise, to disown what had been said and insist that it is not the view of the Government !

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