Heated exchange over camera focus

Heated exchange ensued in Parliament yesterday after the SJB demanded to know as to why the camera had not been focused on Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and SJB Kegalle District MP Kabir Hashim on Tuesday when the government presented the 20th Amendment to the House.

 SJB Kurunegala District MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha said that the MPs were allowed to avail the facilities of microphone and the TV recording camera’s focus when they get the floor to speak. However, the Opposition Leader and MP Hashim were not given that facility on Tuesday when they spoke against the 20th Amendment draft bill. That was unfair for the MPs concerned and also amounted to depriving them of their privileges,” MP Jayamaha said.

 Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that a decision had been made during the time of former Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara to level the focus of the camera to the Chair or to the Mace if there was any confusion or unrest that took over the business of the House. “Whenever the MPs behave unruly the focus of the camera would be leveled at the Mace or the Chair.

That decision is now considered the precedence on the matter. On the day the MP mentioned specifically the same happened as the opposition MPs took off from their seats and protested in the Well of the House,” the Speaker said.

MP Jayamaha: “Both opposition leader Premadasa and MP Hashim had been given the microphone but not the camera. That was unfair. If there was such a precedent and practice guided by that precedence, then how the camera was given to the MPs who urinated on the Speaker’s Chair and poured water on it and attacked other MPs with chili powders when there was an unrest situation sometime back.”

Speaker Abeywardena said that focus of the camera could be given to any MP till he or she maintained the dignity and decorum of the House.

MP Jayamaha: The rule is not to give a microphone and camera whenever there is a row or unruly behaviour. The focus of the camera was given to government MP Shehan Semasinghe in Tuesday’s instance.

State Minister Semasinghe: I did not behave unruly. I was making the speech when the trouble broke out. But I continued my speech without being affected by the antics of the opposition MPs. The camera-mania of Sajith Premadasa is well known. He speaks only to the camera. He cannot speak without a camera. And MP Jayamaha is not a person who could come here to talk of public property. Tell this House the way you use public property and waste public funds even now as an opposition MP.

MP Chaminda Wijesiri shouted at the Chair and accused the speaker of being biased.

Speaker Abeywardena said that he would give time to the opposition to speak on the matter on Friday.

 Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage: MP Chaminda Wijesiri is unfair when leveling accusations at the Speaker. We have experiences under many speakers and know how the speakers reacted on such occasions. Your allegation against the Speaker is very unfair. Please withdraw it. People laugh at us because of the behaviour of some MPs in parliament.

 MP Wijesiri: I got up to raise a point of order and to ask the truth of the newspaper report of a knife being smuggled into the Parliament premises. I apologize to the Speaker if I hurt his feelings unintentionally.

Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena: We are proud of the incumbent speaker compared to the conduct of former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya who was nothing but the epitome of biasedness to his party. We were in the opposition and experienced his manner of conduct.