Amidst a raging controversy over MPs switching sides allegedly for their personal benefits, perks and privileges, Speaker WJM Lokubandara Monday strongly defended their right to switch allegiance on a case-by case basis.

Fielding questions on Janahanda, a weekly political show on TNL, the veteran politician asserted that members, irrespective of the position of their respective political parties, should be given the opportunity to vote according to their conscience.

The Judiciary, too, has endorsed switching of allegiance, he said, underlining the importance in having the freedom to decide rationally on contentious issues. "People should not be shackled. They must change and in anyway it would be better than being restricted," Lokubandara who had never deserted his party, the UNP, said.

"There is no basis for some criticism levelled against them," he said, dismissing claims that crossovers were always inspired by financial gains. He asserted that the media coverage of crossovers, too, was primarily presented on the basis that anyone switching allegiance was corrupt. "Don’t think every crossover MP has taken money. That is wrong."

The Speaker strongly dismissed the assertion that his position was influenced by the fact that he too was a politician.

In a wide-ranging interview, the Speaker discussed a gamut of issues including the APRC (All Party Representative Committee) process, the ongoing efforts to weaken the LTTE’s military capability, human rights, rowdiness among members, sharp drop in the standard of parliamentary speeches and overall deterioration of public life.

In remarks which are likely to infuriate the UNP, Lokubandara said that both parties had taken crossover MPs. In a way the whole process was justified as both parties had taken crossover MPs, he said.

Severely criticizing a section of the members for boorish behaviour thereby bringing the parliament into disrepute, the soft spoken Badulla District MP said that some members were not even aware of the Standing Orders. Although copy of Sri Lanka’s Constitution and other relevant documents were made available to them free of charge, they did not have any interest. He said that it was a pathetic situation. He lamented that although political party leaders had been briefed of this deplorable state of affairs, unfortunately no tangible action had been taken to rectify the shortcomings. Lokubandara revealed that the House was in the process of introducing critical amendments to the Standing Orders. He expressed confidence that this would be a reality next year.

Referring to a spate of shocking incidents in Parliament over the past few years, particularly the chaos on December 14-the day of the final vote on the Budget, he emphasised the pivotal importance in punishing members involved. According to him, the trouble makers were on camera and expressed the belief that action would be taken by the privileges committee headed by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka. Lokubandara also criticised Opposition MPs for their reaction which he said caused further trouble. He slammed ruling coalition MPs who placed a floral wreath in front of UNP and Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe after he declared the Budget passed by a majority of 47 votes.

He revealed that the floral wreath would have been made inside the House. Without identifying anyone, he said that flowers could have been taken from offices of seniors and the floral wreath made inside one of the offices. The floral wreath was placed by Nation Building Minister Jagath Pushpakumara. The Speaker said that it was thrown towards him by an Opposition member. He said that he was ashamed and disappointment and regretted the plunging standards.

According to him, altogether four or five members were involved in the sordid affair. He played a glowing tribute to the UNP leader for the way he handled the situation. He accused trouble makers of behaving like terrorists.

He said that the situation in Parliament was essentially depicted the collapse of the society as a whole. He attributed what he called hopeless situation to narrow political agenda and greed. In a way this was what could be expected from "peoples’ representatives" when one thought of the people who had voted them to power, he said. The Parliament, he asserted depicted the general deterioration of human values and standards. He pointed out the crisis in the medical and the educational sector claiming that there had been a sharp deterioration of the standards. "Don’t expect only politicians to be good."

The Speaker warned that unless discipline was restored at a cost, this institution (Parliament) could not be saved.

He said that the ethnic problem and other severe problems cropped up despite the 1977 government having an absolute majority. Although, the Parliament depicted the people’s choice what good it brought to the country, he asked. He declined to blame the crossover MPs for the country’s ills today.

He said that the Parliament unanimously removed the judicial power it had thanks to President JR Jayewardene. "If I remember correct, this was done in 1996," he said, "What would have happened if such power was given to the people who behaved boorishly." In fact, the legality and morality of an election, too, was an issue, he said.

Speaking on the war front, he commended the security forces for their valour, courage and determination in the face of the (LTTE) military challenge. He expressed the situation has marked a tremendous improvement due to the commitment and sacrifices made by security forces. "Our forces are disciplined. We can be proud of them," he said while dismissing allegations of rights violations levelled against them. He pointed out that interested parties were talking of the rights of a group which assassinated TULF great A. Amirthalingam and Neelan Thiruchelvam among others. "This is absurd. What rights do they have to talk about it" he asked, accusing them of targeting security forces for petty personal gains. He expressed confidence that government forces would emerge victorious next year. This assertion was based on the ground reports and astrology, he said.

He expressed the belief that the LTTE could be brought to the negotiating table by weakening them. He acknowledged the need to respond with arms to the enemy’s military challenge but initiate negotiations after the military objectives were met. Referring to attacks on innocent Tamil civilians years ago, the Speaker said that the Sinhalese behaved well after the great provocation at Nugegoda where 20 innocent people died in the recent parcel bomb attack. People did not try to take the law into their hands like in the previous instances, he said.

The Speaker also stoutly defended the APRC process. Recalling that President Ranasinghe Premadasa engaged in a similar exercise, he criticised political parties which had boycotted the APRC process. All wanted to take credit for resolving the national problem and take political advantage, he said. If such a process was good for President Premadasa what was wrong in this government doing the same, he asked. The UNP, JVP and TNA are not party to the APRC process due to different reasons.

The Speaker said that he believed in maximum possible devolution in Sri Lanka. He said that he would not be guided either by unitary or Federal status as it would be a futile exercise.

The Speaker warned that the next set of country’s leaders would come from international schools. The politico declared that the children of politicians attend international schools along with the other wealthy types. This would pose a serious threat as they would be clueless as to the true values of the people, he said. He urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government to take tangible action to rectify the situation. Emphasising the need to provide an opportunity to children of less affluent families to receive a sound English education, the Speaker who had held important portfolios during his long political career expressed confidence the government would not neglect its duty by the vast majority who could not afford good education.

Courtesy - The Island