News
Cardinal calls for better behaved MPs
(UCAN)Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and rights activists have called on Sri Lankan lawmakers to act more responsibly in parliament and not replicate deplorable behavior as seen in the past.
The call for better parliamentary proceedings followed the recent inaugural session of Sri Lanka’s parliament following a snap election on Nov 14. Previous parliaments have often been criticized for the unruly behavior of lawmakers, according to observers.
“Discipline in parliament was weak in the past,” the 77-year-old cardinal who heads Colombo archdiocese told reporters during a meeting with House speaker Ashoka Ranwala at the Archbishop’s House on Nov. 27.
It is the duty of the speaker to bring decorum back to the House, Cardinal Ranjith added.
Ranwala was elected speaker shortly after the recent polls to elect the 225-member House.
During the inaugural session of the new parliament on Nov. 21, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stressed the need for restoring the dignity of the House and listed it as a top priority of his new government.
The once revered institution has become an “object of public distrust, hostility, and contempt,” the president said.
Many lawmakers in the previous parliament were accused of unruly behavior, including using offensive language and fighting during their term that started in 2020.
In 2023, seven lawmakers, including then-state minister for tourism, Diana Gamage, were suspended for disciplinary issues.
Rushi Almeida, who organized street protests against former lawmakers, said many politicians, including opposition MPs, behaved in a disgraceful manner to pass laws to “further their hidden agendas.”
“This is why people rejected many of them” in the polls, said Almeida.
At least 100 lawmakers in the previous parliament failed to win seats this time round.
“They [lawmakers] behaved like kindergarten kids,” Almeida, a university student from Colombo, told UCA News.
Sukumal Antony, a political analyst and a university lecturer in social science, said incompetent individuals should not be selected to represent people in parliament.
Antony said debates in parliament have been reduced to unproductive arguments, eroding public trust.
“Many of the former lawmakers lacked education,” Antony observed.
To rebuild trust, parliamentary debates “should be more focused and constructive,” he suggested.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr. Kristalina Georgieva, at Temple Tress on the 17th of February
Dr. Georgieva, commended the Government’s efforts in stabilizing the country’s economy and in managing recent economic and natural shocks. She noted that Cyclone Ditwah had caused severe impacts, especially on economically vulnerable communities, underscoring the importance of targeted support and resilience-building measures.
The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the IMF’s continued support to Sri Lanka, particularly in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. The PM further emphasized that real economic recovery and development must directly benefit the economically vulnerable groups and ensure inclusive growth, highlighting the need for Sri Lanka to attract quality and sustainable investments, particularly in the tourism sector.
The importance of reforming the education system to focus not only on knowledge acquisition but also on skills development and employability was also discussed
The meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff of the IMF Managing Director Andreas Bauer, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, Dr. Krishna Srinivasan Division Chief (Strategic Communications), Communications Department, Pierre Mejlak Resident Representative for Sri Lanka Dr. Martha Woldemichael, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, and Deputy Governor Dr. C. Amarasekara, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri and Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to relocate the Deniyaya Base Hospital after constructing a new hospital with a capacity of 300 beds at an estimated cost of Rupees 6,000 million.
The Southern Provincial Department of Health has acquired a plot of land in Handford estate which is approximately 03 kilometres away from the town for this purpose.
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