Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Saturday emphasised the need for all legislatures to establish quality standards for their proceedings and debates, expressing serious concern about planned deadlocks that disrupt parliamentary functioning.
“All legislatures must establish standards to ensure the quality of their proceedings and debates,” Birla stated at the Valedictory Session of the three-day 11th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Conference in Bengaluru.
As President of the CPA India Region, Birla made a strong appeal to legislators, stating that “rather than halting the proceedings based on ideological or political differences, legislators must resolve to keep the House functioning.”
He also emphasised the importance of increasing both the duration of debates and the number of legislative sittings to achieve this objective. The conference adopted four key resolutions aimed at eliminating deadlocks and disruptions to increase public trust in democratic institutions, strengthening research and reference branches of state legislative institutions with parliamentary collaboration, ensuring greater use of digital technologies in legislative institutions, and increasing participation of youth and women in democratic processes.
“In the age of science and technology, the role of Parliament and legislatures has expanded,” Birla stated, highlighting that contemporary challenges, including cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, climate change, digital rights, and constitutional reforms, now occupy centre stage in legislative debates.
He stressed that “addressing these complex challenges will require committee-based deliberations, dialogues with experts, and increased participation from local representatives.”
Birla also reminded elected representatives of their fundamental duty, stating that “it is the duty of elected representatives to ensure that the legislature is a powerful platform for their voice, rather than merely a site for political conflict.”
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Regarding the role of Presiding Officers, Birla stressed that “fairness, patience, and just conduct are key to maintaining the dignity of the House.”
He elaborated that “it is essential to ensure that every Member (legislator) has the opportunity to express their views, that all Members are aware of the rules, and that those rules are followed fairly, with priority given to constitutional values over personal opinions.”
The Speaker concluded by expressing hope that “through such Conferences, the aim is to ensure that Legislatures can function without planned deadlocks in the future.”
The conference theme focused on ‘Dialogue and Discussion in Legislative Institutions: A Foundation of Public Trust and a Means to Fulfill Public Aspirations’.
