TN: Ensure fairplay, opposition urges speaker

CHENNAI: Opposition parties, including allies of the AIADMK, on Friday urged D Jayakumar who took over as Speaker of the 14th Assembly to ensure fairplay while chairing the proceedings of the House during his term. The parties also promised the Speaker their full cooperation in the efficient functioning of the House.
Thanking the leaders of all parties, the Speaker said impartiality would be his yardstick in conducting the proceedings of the House and that he would be guided by Anna's principles of "duty, decorum and decency". While promising that opposition parties would be given due opportunities, the Speaker said senior members should function in a way that would guide the newer members. Greeting Jayakumar, Leader of the House and Finance Minister O Panneerselvam expressed confidence that he would, in the next five years, earn glory as the best Speaker in all States. "Let bygones be bygones... all members should function in an efficient manner in the House," he added.Greeting the new Speaker, Vijaykanth said on many occasions, the views expressed by the opposition parties would be useful to the ruling party. As such, the Speaker should provide ample opportunities to the opposition to express their views.