Opposition lawmakers quiz Speaker on PC procurement in Parliament

Opposition lawmakers yesterday questioned Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on the source of laptop computers made available on Chamber tables for the use of Members, and the basis of their procurement.

Highlighting a controversial public statement a lawmaker made recently, identifying Parliament as the most corrupt State establishment in the country, United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Nimal Lanza said: “Recently a lawmaker identified the Parliament as the most corrupt establishment in the country. This lawmaker has also stated the laptops made available for the use of all Members in the Chamber are a part of a big bribe given to Parliament. We don’t know if these computers are a part of a bribe, as mentioned by this particular lawmaker.”

UPFA lawmaker Wimal Weerawansa, who was on his feet, held that a lesser number of MPs are using the computers, which are made available without a request for such facilities from Parliament. “Even though there is a laptop computer found here in front of me, I have not opened it at all. This machine requires a password. Most lawmakers are not using these computers. We haven’t requested computers, even though it was provided by Parliament. We need to know how it was provided. It is a serious question if Parliament has come to the level of accepting bribes,” he said.

However, these 225 laptop computers, received from the People’s Republic of China as a donation, were made available on Chamber tables for each lawmaker with personalised user access since August 2017.

According to sources, the Parliament’s IT department has submitted a proposal in 2011, as a part of its process to upgrade paperless governance, at a cost of Rs. 350 million. With the Government of China donating these computers, Parliament did not incur a cost. Using the personalised access, the particular member could see his attendance, allowances, and salary details, along with deductions, the Acts and Bills, Hansards, Motions, Annual Reports and Progress Reports of State establishments, along with details on committees. (AH)