The Hon. Rohitha Abeygunawardhana

¶ 01 Even if you say I’m interrupting, it’s no bother to me. Anyway, please give me two minutes for this, Hon. Chairman.

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Minister, you can arrange it so that Mr. Joseph Stalin is guided to places where bombs are not set off. You can do that. Keep the two of them together—like Raigama and Gampala of old—right and left hands together. Don’t separate them. Keep and shape them. I say this kindly; with affection.

¶ 03 If the Hon. Prime Minister were in the House, I would even recite a poem. She is not here at the moment. Without the Prime Minister, this place feels empty. There’s a Cabinet discussion, so nothing can be done. Hon. Chairman, I am happy that a woman holds the office of Prime Minister. Look, this Parliament has 22 women MPs. She is also the Minister of Education. Before her, Madam Chandrika Kumaratunga also held the Education portfolio. This Hon. Lady is the country’s third woman Prime Minister. I am very happy. I remembered our Hon. patient Madam Rohini Kumari Wijerathna the other day too. Now there are 22 women MPs in Parliament: twenty on the Government side and two in the Opposition. Our Opposition has 64 MPs; we must look after these two women. You have twenty on your side, together with the Prime Minister; take care of them too. Let’s not all 225 sit as if divided. But let me say one thing: from Parliament, let us give an example to education. What example? We, 225 MPs—without symbols like the flower bud, chair, rooster, rabbit—have all come here. Let us improve our civility from here. Let’s not be together only for five years and part in spirit. Let us give the children a new example. You are a Government that gives new examples. First, let us model mutual understanding among ourselves.

¶ 04 When someone says “Good morning!”, reply “Good morning!”; when someone smiles, smile back. I said this because with 20 women MPs on the Government side, you can do this more easily. As for me, I always talk happily and smile with women—very happily.

¶ 05 So, if at that time they too bring us joy, good. I remind the House now to strengthen the friendship between them and us. With that reminder, I thank the Hon. Chairman for the time given. Hon. Prime Minister, Hon. Minister of [Bowsers] and others on both sides, I request you to do this task. For the good decisions you take for education, we in the Opposition will raise our hands without fear and give support.

¶ 06 Thank you.