Bad
week for UNP politicos
It has been a bad week for several UNP MPs. On Thursday Kegalle
district MP Mano Wijeyaratna raised a privilege issue. He had been
stopped at an Air Force check-point in Colombo and when he produced
his ID issued to MPs, he had been told that there were many hundreds
carrying around such IDs. Adding insult to injury, the security
men had checked his wife’s ID, with whom he had been heading
home after a dinner, and asked whether Mr.Wijeyaratne was her husband.
The MP alleged that he had been unnecessarily harassed and his privileges
as an MP were violated by these actions and wanted the Speaker to
look into the matter. And to prove that the lady accompanying him
was actually his wife, the MP also brought his marriage certificate
to the Legislature. Maybe he will have to carry it in his vehicle
in the future as well.
House
privileges for traffic offences?
Another
UNP MP who had claimed he was harassed by the Police was Kandy district
MP Tissa Attanayake. He had been travelling from Kandy to Colombo
and had been stopped by the Police at Kiribathgoda and told that
the crash bar on the front of his vehicle was illegal and should
be removed. Attempts by him and his driver to explain that the bar
came as a part of the vehicle and was not an added accessory had
fallen on deaf ears. A senior traffic police officer who arrived
there too had not heeded any of the words of the MP and said that
the bar should be removed and shown to the Police within ten days.
The MP alleged that his privileges had been violated by this. Chief
Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle intervened at this stage to
say that he too had been told this and he had acted according to
the request of the Police and removed the offending bar. The question
now is whether motor traffic offences are covered by Parliamentary
privilege or not? The Speaker said he will look into this as well.
Ever
changing rules
Reporters covering Parliamentary proceedings have had to put up
with changing rules almost every time they go there.
Firstly the entrance to the Press Gallery was closed allegedly due
to security reasons a few months ago and then a section of the press
reporters was apportioned for a computer training centre for MPs
– all without even informing the media personnel of these
decisions. A few weeks ago they were told no handbags and mobile
phones would be allowed into the Press Gallery, a privilege they
have enjoyed for many years. Last week they were told they had to
produce their National ID along with their media accreditation card
issued by the Information Department. Funnily a few months ago a
journalist was turned away from Parliament saying he could not be
allowed in with the national ID but needed the Information Department
card. While Parliaments from India to the UK are moving to provide
better facilities to Parliamentary correspondents including allowing
not only mobile phones but lap top computers as well to the Press
Gallery, here they seem to be doing away whatever facilities reporters
enjoy one by one.
Maybe
during the next overseas tour the concerned decision makers take
quite regularly to other Parliaments, they should visit the press
gallery and see these for themselves and try and learn from what
they see.
New
look for new office
The President took over the Transport Ministry recently
and a new office had to be found. The new place was the CTB headquarters
at Narahenpita. And the news out of there now is that office is
being newly tiled at a cost of Rs 6 million.
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