A compilation of special parliamentary speeches delivered by Mr. Wimal Weerawansa on the theme of national issue entitled “ Honorable Speaker” was launched today (24) at the Temple Trees under the auspices of HE the President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksha and the former speaker Mr. W.J.M. Lokubandara.
Writing a forward to this book, the former speaker Mr. W.J.M.Lokubandara says that “ Mr. Weerawansa was elected to the parliament for the first time in the General election held in October 2000. In that election, 10 members from the JVP got elected to the Parliament and Mr. Weerawansa was the parliamentary group leader of JVP. He also acted as the parliamentary group leader for parliamentarians who got elected from JVP at general elections held in December 2001 and April 2004. After he left the JVP on 8th April 2008 and until the parliament was dissolved on 9th February 2010, he acted as the parliamentary group leader of the “Jathika Nidhahas Peramuna” (National Freedom Front)
“ In this manner Mr. Weerawansa has acted during the past decade as a leader of the parliamentary group of a particular political party. Such a leader has a special privilege in terms of section 23(2) of the Standing Orders of the Parliament to question in the parliament on any matter of national importance. Most party leaders in exercising this privilege very often read out such “special statement” from written –scripts monotonously but as of recently I observed with contentment the meaningful and enlivened “special statements’ being delivered by Mr. Weerawansa in the parliament”.
He says in the forward that “ Mr. Wimal Weerawansa’s lucid language style used in presenting those special statements and the rational analysis of facts directed the attention of the general public to the national issue. Mr. Lokubandara states in the forward that he is wondering as to whether there is any party leader who used the privilege of presenting special statements in the parliament to educate the general public on the national issue as did Mr. Wimal Weerawansa. “ Those special statements that Mr. Weerawansa read in the parliament were meaningful, patriotic and also an epitome of the contemporary political history tracing the direction of our politics. The oratory skills that Mr. Weerawansa demonstrated in presenting those statements made me contended dearly as senior member of the parliament”, says Mr. Lokubandara in the forward.
He further says in the forward that he always wished that those special statements read by Mr. Weerawansa should be compiled and publish as book to educate the general public rather than being hidden in the Hanzard reports. His says his wish has become a reality with the publication of this compilation.
