Parliament

Wedding bells and alarm bells over privilege issues
By Chandani Kirinde, Our Lobby Correspondent
The government last week passed three urgent finance bills in Parliament to give effect to some of its budget proposals, but it was matters of privilege and non adherence to standing orders that kept things agog in the House.

It was the contentious issue of reference to the conduct of a judicial officer by UNP Kalutara district MP Sarath Ranawaka that sparked much of the protests from government benches, while JVP parliamentary Group leader Wimal Weerawansa said certain sections of the media had violated his privileges as an MP, by misreporting his brief statement congratulating cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan who got married recently.

It was the touchy topic of privilege- that all Members of Parliament seek shelter under at some time or the other- that led Speaker W.J.M.Lokubandara to summon reporters covering Parliament to his office on Wednesday to brief them on what kind of reporting was expected from them and also ask the media institutions that faulted in their reporting to correct their mistakes.

When Mr.Weerawansa stood up on Tuesday morning to congratulate the cricketer on his nuptials, he was reminded by the Speaker that if he raised an issue on the floor of the House, it needed to be addressed to some minister and since there was no minister to whom his statement was addressed, it could not be allowed. The Speaker said that all MPs wished the best for Mr.Muralithran and his bride but the wishes could be conveyed privately.

It was misreporting on this issue that led Mr.Weerawansa to raise the privilege issue the next morning saying what transpired in the House had been distorted by sections of the media. The MP who touched on another sensitive topic was Sarath Ranawaka, who referred to the conduct of the most senior judicial officer in the country, which had several government speakers on their feet saying he was violating Standing Orders.

But Mr. Ranawaka carried on regardless and managed to say most of what he wanted to say despite the fact that under rules of debate in Parliament, the conduct of judges cannot be raised except upon a substantive motion.

Maybe Mr.Ranawaka was making use of the privileges all MPs enjoy under the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act, which guarantees them freedom of speech, debate and proceedings in Parliament, which in turn shall not be liable to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament.

Speaking during the debate on the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, Mr.Ranawaka said that five policemen who were engaged in an incident involving the judicial officer had been harassed in the Police Department and said it was the duty of the state to protect honest police personnel if the crime rate in the country was to be brought under control. Most MPs who spoke on the Bill agreed that the hand of the Police needed to be strengthened if crime was to be brought under control, with Justice Minister John Seneviratne saying there has been a substantial increase in crimes between 2001 and 2003 and crimes ranging from murder, rape, robberies and child abuse were all on the rise.

Mr.Seneviratne said that this Bill along with another Special Provisions Bill to be introduced soon would give more powers to the law enforcement authorities. UNP MP G.L.Peiris said his party wholly supported the Bill and said people's faith in the legal system needed to be reinforced. Deputy Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi said ordinary people too should have more access to their fundamental rights violations being heard in courts saying that today it was only the rich who were seeking recourse by filing FR cases since one needed at least Rs. 500,000 to get such cases moving.

Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama moved three urgent Finance Bills on Thursday namely, to increase the levy on betting and gaming, a bill to impose a withholding tax on persons seeking to register motor vehicles as well as a bill to enhance the income tax revenue of the Government.

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