I read the editorial ‘PM’s lament’ (The Island 11 Jan.) with great interest and it deserves a standing applause. What we saw on that day in the house was really disgusting. As mentioned in your editorial it was really unpardonable to see the party leaders of these misbehaving MPs remaining just spectators without stopping the nonsense.
I vividly remember late prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike once said ‘When I see school going children in the gallery I become really nervous to see the language some of the irresponsible MPs use in the parliament’. I admire the lady who had the better discipline among her cabinet ministers as well as the MPs belonged to her party than any of our past or present leaders. She had high regard and respect the world over. Once in Cairo I got into a long conversation with a limousine driver who drove me from downtown Cairo to my hotel in the city centre.
He remembered only Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s name of all our politicians and he respected her a lot because of the close relation she had with his country during the time of late president Gamal Abdel Nasser.
On reaching my destination the driver even declined to take the money that I paid him. I do agree one hundred percent as stated in the editorial that those misbehaved ruffians should not be given nomination to contest elections. It is impossible to practice parliamentary politics without having patience, decency, politeness and courtesy.