Minister Gunawardena, addressing a press conference at his Ministry office in Colombo, said that Parliament had maintained its dignity since the introduction of the Westminster system to this country.

The last parliamentary polls had enabled an increased number of JVP members to sit in the House as they had contested under the UPFA ticket and benefited from the SLFP votes. They had destroyed the image of the House and converted it into a ‘Cattle shed.’

Minister Gunawardena said in the 1980s, Parliament had been respectable and valuable place and even university dons had requested their students to go there read the Hansard. "But, that has become a thing of the past with the entry of the JVP MPs. The Hansard is full of unparliamentary language and they should be labelled ‘strictly for adults’," the minister said.

He said: "The JVP MPs do not allow other members to speak freely and express their views and opinions on important issues. They continue to interrupt. However, this situation would be changed with the April 08 election."

Courtesy: Island