Ceylon Today Editorial

We deserve Parliamentarians of better calibre

25 November 2016

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, things simply do not change. Just like our politicians who are, deep down, just a bunch of teenagers, bursting with hormonal rage and sensational melodrama. Like those old habits that die hard, our parliamentarians cannot seem to find an ounce of decency and civility in their line of work. One would think that they would at least behave well at the august House, with respect to the continued traditions and rules. But, in truth, they'd rather behave like baboons in heat.

Earlier this week, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya in Parliament warned the House not to engage in character assassination and mudslinging during debates because Parliament proceedings were being broadcast live to the nation.

The Speaker, not once or twice, had to reiterate and highlight the responsibility of all parliamentarians on proper conduct with decorum and discipline in order to ensure that the people do not lose faith in the Parliament.

This was after many comments that were thrown about during a particular parliamentary session where, as usual, the Parliament experienced a tense situation. It is never a dull moment at our Parliament, truly. Sadly, for our Speaker, the warnings of the people losing faith in the glorious institution fell on deaf ears and have already come to pass, unintentionally.

We, as proud citizens of this nation, wish we could forget and singe the memories of parliamentarians conducting a protest/sleep-over at the Parliament well. Lest, we forget there have been countless times when the Parliament's ceremonial mace was stolen, went missing and was threatened to be destroyed.

Yelling out verbal abuse, interrupting other MPs' speeches, and causing disruption in general, aren't unusual behaviour within the Sri Lankan Parliament, so, nobody really bats an eyelid when such incidents occur. These instances have gone beyond just verbal abuse to downright exchanging of fisticuffs and physical violence. If only we can forget the 2011 shameful spectacle of a budget reading that led to what could only be defined as roughhousing of drunkard fools.

This kind of behaviour, being broadcast over the television has led it to becoming more popular than the prime time television shows and reality television shows. This is the sad part; we have accepted this uncouth behaviour of our public representatives that it has become a norm to them. Unsavoury behaviour has been accepted as normal behaviour and we, as voters, have let this happen.

It is obvious that parliamentarians knowingly follow this form of behaviour because they know they will provide entertainment for the voters. It has reached this sad predicament because we, as voters, have let it happen. We who are engaging in entertainment politics have elected the public representatives we are supposed to have. We have voted in a bunch of hillbillies who have no sense of gentlemanly politics based on ideologies. Not to mention of ideas, they simply do not know how to behave as human beings.

What is the solution, therefore? The solution is simple. We should move away from emotional politics that plays on our feelings, titillating us at times. We should avoid politicians who make fun of each other, who are only there for the vote and never there for the work. We should move towards politicians who are educated and well-mannered. We want politicians who can respect another idea and can argue back with words and information, not with their hands and violence. We need politicians who can talk the talk and walk the walk.

After all, as voters, we need better than what we have. We deserve better than this.