The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, there is now a serious issue between the Speaker and the Parliamentary Secretariat which has become a matter of public discussion. We know the Secretariat plays a major role in safeguarding the independence of Parliament and maintaining parliamentary procedure, advising a Speaker appointed from a political party. Throughout history, we have not seen conflicts between the Speaker and the Secretariat.

¶ 02 We have worked with about ten Speakers—eminent ones like Anura Bandaranaike, Karu Jayasuriya, W.J.M. Lokubandara, Chamal Rajapaksa—who worked harmoniously with the Secretariat. Today, a Secretary has been removed. That Secretary has lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption against the Speaker. We have never seen such a situation in this Parliament. This is very unfortunate. I am not accusing you personally, Hon. Speaker, but this is a bad state of affairs.

¶ 03 Under Secretary-General Nihal Seneviratne we saw how the system functioned and how Speakers listened. Today, the system has completely changed—perhaps this is your “system change”. We hear the former Deputy Secretary-General has also lodged a complaint against you. How can parliamentary procedure proceed like this? Regarding that inquiry, you have yourself referred the complaint to the Staff Advisory Committee and appointed the head to conduct the inquiry. What is happening here, Hon. Speaker? This is alarming. The country is watching. Parliament had dignity; that is being eroded. Problems will keep arising. How will Parliament move forward like this? The Secretary was not even given a proper opportunity to present his case.