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Suggestions to parliamentary disciplinary committee
Thursday, 14 June 2012 - 10:44 AM SL Time
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Former speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara has been summoned by the Parliamentary Select Committee to discipline parliamentarians for his suggestions to the committee on 21 June.
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Discipline Propriety Traditions and Security relating to Members of Parliament headed by senior minister DEW Gunesekara met ex- speakers and the former secretary general last week for their comments and recommendations to the committee.
The committee that was formed recently to formulate a code of conduct for parliamentarians is in the process of gathering evidence from various individuals about misconduct of parliamentarians.
Senior Minister and leader of the committee DEW Gunesekara told Ceylon Today the committee had already met the Editors Guild and several other senior citizens.
He said the committee has also gone through the video clippings of incidents involving parliamentarians inside and outside parliament and would soon be preparing reports based on them.
During the meeting the committee had with the former speakers Joseph Michael Perera and M.H. Mohamed, the minister said the committee was able to listen to their experiences during their time in parliament.
We asked them how they managed to deal with the members when they became unruly. Their response was very helpful, he said.
The committee comprises Parliamentarians Karu Jayasuriya, Wijedasa Rajapakse, R. Sampanthan, Rauf Hakeem, P. Dayaratne and Anura Yapa Abewardene.
Gunesekara said he was in the process of studying the codes of conduct enacted in the parliaments of England, Australia and India. He said he has obtained copies of them and was going through leisurely.
According to the Minister the Committee is expected to submit the Code of Ethics to Parliament for its final approval.
Our focus is not only on the behavior of parliamentarians inside parliament but also their conduct outside parliament. Parliamentarians cannot in any manner bring disrepute to the House and this would be taken very seriously, the Minister said.
He said the Committee will also meet the party leaders and proposes to change the standing order that enables the speaker to take action against any parliamentarian for violation of such standing orders or behaviour in an unruly manner.
He said Ministers and Parliamentarians not being present in the house to answer questions is a punishable offence and according to the code of ethics the committee is entrusted to formulate, this issue also would be focused on and included for immediate action.
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