Parliament must take a stand on snobbish missions - Speaker
Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara yesterday stressed the importance of Parliament to take a stand against diplomatic missions based here if they attempt to harass MPs and citizens regarding their visa applications. He said citizens have to face various harassments when their finger prints are obtained by some embassies to issue them a visa.
Even our Prime Minister had faced difficulties abroad due to this process followed by a certain embassy here. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Parliament to stand against such moves.
If being a Sinhalese or a Buddhist to be harassed in foreign countries, that would be a dangerous trend that we should not allow to happen. I am disturbed by this situation, he said.
Many Sri Lankans have faced a lot of inconvenience due to applicants made to place their finger prints and the purposeful delay of some embassies to issue them a visa.
Snobbish missions should take remaining kallathonies from our land.
The speaker has come out strongly against foreign countries for not issuing visas to members of parliament. This shows where his interests really lie. He has not said a word about the numerous threats to the Parliament as an Institution although his main job is to safeguard its powers. He has said very little even with regard to the murder of members of parliament nor to the fact that there has been very little progress on finding and punishing the killers. It is also likely that the difficulty in obtaining visas affects him personally - we are made to understand that he is now a much traveled man!
Shut down the snobbish missions and ask them too get the hell out of Sri Lanka. Why should our honorable prime minister, ministers and mps suffer indignation.
After all there other countries other than the west to look to and even go to!