Parliament to go online
The activities of Parliament are set to be conducted through an online system.
A discussion to this effect had been held under the aegis of Secretary General of Parliament, Dhammika Dassanayaka at the Parliament Complex on 11 May.
According to Parliamentary sources, as most other countries conduct Parliamentary activities through the online system, Sri Lanka too has decided to follow suit.
Through the implementation of the online system, at a time when a vote is taken regarding an Act or a proposal, Parliamentarians will be able to cast their vote through the WhatsApp method.
The MPs who are henceforth absent in the House will also be able to both pose questions and provide answers from their residence during Parliament sessions. It is also said that MPs will also be able to attend various Parliamentary Committee meetings such as Sectoral Oversight Committee discussions and Select Committee meetings through this system.
It is also learnt that the Hansard Department and other Departments in the House will be videoed before allowing the public to witness their activities through the virtual system.
As part of this novel system, the number of staffers entering the House is to be curtailed and only the most important officers will be summoned to the legislature while others will be allowed to work from home.
It had also been discussed at length on the importance of the resumption of work of the Parliament staff. Afterwards, it had been decided only to summon one-third of the staffers to work, while allowing others to work from home.
A decision had also been taken to totally shutdown the Parliament cafeteria and to order those who report for duty to bring meals from home.
(Source: Ceylon Today – By J.T. de Silva)
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Good news, but hope it won’t be a another story telling, as public used to hear in the past. Polorized politics, nonsensical red tape & miserable bureaucratic slog, make the govt in-effective. Closing down the parliament cafeteria & ordering the law makers to bring their meals will certainly make them to feel the plight of the poor. It is also un-ethical that law makers make decisions for their own salaries, allowances, permits, perks & facilities,etc,etc. It is time to set-up an independant budget office (IBO) for scrutiny. Many lawmakers, without much insight, critizise the good work done by the govt to control the spread of virus, re-open the economy & activate the livelihoods. It frustrates the public & suffocates the govt. Adversarial politics not good at a time of global crisis, isn’t it ?
Well they want be able to through chilly powder and fit fights at each other now. Shame we cannot see that sort of action any more. How boring that will be.