Sri Lanka Parliament: Standing….What?
June 30, 2012
The standing orders of the Sri Lankan parliament permit any member to speak without interruption, unless he is out of order.
They state that the Speaker or Chairman shall be heard without interruption. A member during a debate in parliament shall maintain silence while another member is speaking and shall not interrupt unless the member speaking gives way.
On 19 June 2012 (the date was picked at random), during a single sitting of parliament, there were 55 interruptions in the house and 13disturbances categorized by Hansard reporters as “uproars”. On the following day, there were 74 interruptions.
The standing orders state that the speaker may expunge words or statements from the Hansard if anything is said in parliament on the conduct of the president, or acting president, members of parliament, judges or other persons engaged in the administration of justice.
He may also expunge comments on any matter under adjudication by a court of law and any remarks by which a member imputes improper motives to any other member. On 19 June, the speaker expunged 23 such statements, including several made by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.
June 30, 2012
By Namini Wijedasa -
Namini Wijedasa
The standing orders of the Sri Lankan parliament permit any member to speak without interruption, unless he is out of order.They state that the Speaker or Chairman shall be heard without interruption. A member during a debate in parliament shall maintain silence while another member is speaking and shall not interrupt unless the member speaking gives way.
On 19 June 2012 (the date was picked at random), during a single sitting of parliament, there were 55 interruptions in the house and 13disturbances categorized by Hansard reporters as “uproars”. On the following day, there were 74 interruptions.
The standing orders state that the speaker may expunge words or statements from the Hansard if anything is said in parliament on the conduct of the president, or acting president, members of parliament, judges or other persons engaged in the administration of justice.
He may also expunge comments on any matter under adjudication by a court of law and any remarks by which a member imputes improper motives to any other member. On 19 June, the speaker expunged 23 such statements, including several made by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.
