Minister Harin Fernando is to make an official apology in Parliament today for using unparliamentary language during a heated parliamentary debate last week.
The Telecom Minister under severe criticism for his behaviour, was summoned before Speaker Karu Jayasuriya for a disciplinary inquiry on the incident last Friday as well.
“I could have denied the incident as there was no video evidence and there were a lot of MPs around me. But I owned up to my mistake, and I may have to face disciplinary action as a result,” Fernando said.
Fernando has a history of reacting adversely under pressure. He attacked an opposing politician during a live television debate while during his time in the opposition, he was in the thickest of another parliamentary brawl involving another senior opposition MP and a number of backbenchers of the previous government.
On Monday, Fernando made a public apology via social media for his behaviour. He explained that although the communication devises did not pick the sound, members of the opposition was also hurling similar insults and abuse at him during the uproar.
“I was provoked by them and I lost my cool. I should not have lost it and for that I apologise,” he explained adding that usage of such abusive language has become common place in the current Parliament.
According to him, the fact that the Speaker is conducting a disciplinary inquiry into the matter is proof of how the government has established good governance in the current political system.
“If this happened during the last government, there wouldn’t even be an inquiry,” Fernando explained.
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