Today is the International Day of Parliamentarism. Every year on the 30 th of June, the Parliament of Sri Lanka, one of the oldest democracies in the world proudly joins in celebrating International Day of Parliamentarism as most other country in the world. Moreover, Sri Lanka joining the pages of world history as a country that won universal suffrage in 1931, set another world record by taking a progressive step by voting in the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the first female Prime Minister in the history of world politics.
Like every other year, the International Day of Parliamentarism falling on the 30 th of June is celebrated the Inter-Parliamentary Union which began in 1889 with its members consisting of 179 countries, including Sri Lanka. The primary objective of the Union is to promote sustainable goals such as democratic governance, accountability, co-operation and gender equality as well as the empowerment of youth participation among its members countries.
Parliament is a strong institution that represents the majority of the nation empowered by the people’s mandate. It is also the sustainable foundation of representative democracy in this country. As people's representatives, we represent the voice of the Sri Lankan people. Thus, the Parliament of Sri Lanka is the supreme body of legislation governing financial control, observations, oversight and public representation of the country.
According to the Constitution, the power to legislate and amend the laws of the country are vested in the People's Representatives appointed by you under the Legislature. For instance, although the Ministry of Health has stated that new laws and legislation are needed in the face of the current Covid 19 crisis, it is up to the legislature to scrutinize and approve such Bills drafted for the purpose of enactment.
In accordance with Article 148 of the Constitution, the Parliament has full powers over public finances. Accordingly, the annual budget debate is of prominence. The government's economic policy, which affects all future plans of the country, and the direction of all government economic proposals are determined by Parliament, which is fully responsible for the control of public finances.
The Committee Stage can be introduced as the body which performs most of the work in Parliament with regard to supervision and oversight. It is a successful system approved by parliaments around the world. The parliamentarians appointed by you to the legislative branch invest long hours in discussion, regardless of party affiliation. We have also opened the doors of our committees not only to Parliamentarians, but also to experts in various fields as well as journalists.
Moreover, our Parliament, with a composition of 225 Parliamentarians representing the sovereignty of the people, reelects the public aspirations and objectives of the people. The Parliament of Sri Lanka devotes considerable time in the Chamber to public concerns. The Parliament have a definite mechanism of referring questions to the Prime
Minister or the relevant Minister for the purpose of obtaining answers. At the same time, our Parliament, as in every country in the world, implements a smart agenda for the people who need support at the local and international levels. For instance, it can be seen that many Parliaments across the world are gradually approaching the 2030
Sustainable Development Goals including us.
I do not remember a single day in my political career when our Parliament, designed by world-renowned architect Mr. Geoffrey Bawa, was left empty without the presence of any local and foreign visitors during the pre - COVID period. Nevertheless, in the face of this pandemic we are unexpectedly faced with, we all have to adhere with health regulations. We really miss students and all adults who visit Parliament from all across Sri Lanka. However, we must see it as a victory for us to be able to continue the day-to- day business of Parliament uninterruptedly virtually in an innovative and creative manner unlike before.
This is why we emphasize that the role of our Parliament is more important and decisive in the face of emergencies or in the face of a catastrophic pandemic still unknown to even modern science. It is up to Parliament to set the right direction through legislation and other actions to shape the country as a whole, not just today, but also during the post-Covid situation.
As the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, it is my understanding that this path is not an easy one. But, according to the Buddha's philosophy that I believe in, we must go on this journey collectively and without delay, without oppressing the community. In doing so, the rains will come at the right time, the harvest will be rich, and the day will soon come when we can build the good land that we all believe we must build regardless of party affiliations.
