The state of our House!

It certainly was an eventful and yet comical week in Parliament, with several MPs making fools of themselves in full public view.

First up was Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Hambantota District MP Dilip Wedaarachchi, who chose to hold a protest in the well of the House on Monday to mark World Fisheries Day. Mr Wedaarachchi has long been an advocate for fishermen’s issues and a former State Minister of Fisheries. He (in)famously ate raw fish on live television in 2020 to prove there was no risk of COVID19 transmission through the consumption of seafood.

Mr Wedaarachchi said on Monday that he was holding the protest over injustices being suffered by local fishermen. He claimed he would continue with his protest in the House until the end of that day’s Parliament session. He thereafter made his way to the middle of the chamber and sat on the ground.

His protest barely lasted 10 minutes, with Deputy Chairperson of the Committee Angajan Ramanadan who was presiding in the Chair, repeatedly telling Mr Wedaarachchi to end his protest so that the business of the House could continue. The former state minister was then accompanied back to his seat by two SJB MPs.

On Wednesday, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena ordered SJB Badulla District MP Chaminda Wijesiri to leave the chamber after he attempted to assault Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Nimal Lanza. The incident occurred when Mr Wijesiri protested that Mr Lanza, who is sitting as an independent with the Opposition, was using time allocated by the

Opposition to speak in favour of the Government.

An angry Mr Lanza was heard telling Mr Wijesiri that he would speak what he wished and asking him, who he (Wijesiri) was to question that. It was at this point that Mr Wijesiri attempted to make his way down to Mr Lanza seemingly to assault him before other MPs intervened. He was subsequently ordered out of the chamber.

The MP however, returned to take part in the committee stage debate, where he got into an argument with the Leader of the House, Susil Premajayantha, who had called on the Speaker to remove him.

SLPP MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, who was recently sworn in as a state minister, also took issue with Speaker Abeywardena after the latter referred to him as “Honourable Member.”

“I’m not an MP. I’m a State Minister thanks to Ranil Wickremesinghe. Don’t you know that?” an angry Mr Dassanayake queried from the Speaker. Mr Abeywardena then apologised, with a giggle.

Mr Dassanayake is among those MPs representing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) who have defected to the government. SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara pointed out the next day that all MPs are referred to in Parliament as Members and need not be referred to as Minister, State Minister or Deputy Minister. He said he regrets that the Speaker actually apologised to Mr Dassanayake over the matter when it was the latter that was in the wrong in insisting that he be referred to as a State Minister.

Is it any wonder that people constantly say they don’t care for any of the 225 MPs in the House?

I’m not an MP. I’m a State Minister thanks to Ranil Wickremesinghe. Don’t you know that?”