MPs throw decency overboard UNACCEPTABLE LANGUAGE IN PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS

Imputing improper motives to other members, though members are required not to indulge in, has also been a common practice. Opponents are always portrayed as thieves, rogues, perverts, gays, lesbians or prostitutes by implication

- By M.S.M. Ayub

peaker Jagath Wickramaratne on Monday has said that an investigation will be conducted by the office of the Secretary General of Parliament regarding the use of unparliamentary language used by some MPs during the previous day's sessions.

It is not clear as to why the Speaker wants to investigate the usage of unparliamentary language of certain members on a particular day while it has been a common occurrence in the House for a long time. He might be of the view that actions against those members who breached the rules during a particular day would serve as a deterrent for the future.

However, stopping the MP from using unparliamentary language for good is highly unlikely given the lax qualification prescribed in the law for members of Parliament and the voters.

One can be a voter or an elector as mentioned in the Constitution just by being a Sri Lankan citizen of over 18 years of age, not having served a prison term of six months during the past seven years and not being found to be of unsound mind.

Any elector (voter) is qualified to become a member of Parliament if he did not hold any office paid by the state. He does not need to have any educational or any other qualification of honesty, intellectual capacity or talent to become a legislator.

On the other hand, many political parties are more concerned about the winnability of candidates at an election rather than their capacity to serve the constituency and the country with their knowledge and aptitudes. The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by Mahinda Rajapaksa gave nomination to Premalal Jayasekara to contest at the 2015 Parliamentary election, despite him having been remanded for a murder. Jayasekara again ran for the 2020 election on behalf of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), another party under Rajapaksa, after he was convicted for the same murder.