Date:15/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/15/stories/2008091555030600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Speaker of A.P. Assembly not to attend session

Special Correspondent

No confidence motion against him moved by TDP and TRS

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy will keep away from the House on Monday, when the Assembly takes up the no confidence motion moved against him by the Telugu Desam Party and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

“I do not want to hang around in the vicinity of the House when a motion of no confidence is under discussion. I will prefer to keep away,” Mr. Suresh Reddy remarked.

The Deputy Speaker presides over the House when a no confidence motion against the Speaker is taken up. Though the Speaker has a right to reply, Mr. Suresh Reddy told The Hindu on Sunday that he was prepared to lose the opportunity for the sake of upholding the highest traditions of the House.

He hoped that the debate would be healthy, enlightening and, at the end of the day, strengthen Parliamentary democracy.

Admitting that the Speaker’s task was quite challenging and needed sacrifices at times, Mr. Suresh Reddy said for the first time MLAs of 10 registered parties were accorded the status of floor leaders. “Opposition parties bring six to seven adjournment motions every day making my task difficult. Some parties may be feeling dissatisfied when I rejected these motions.”

On frequent criticism of the Chair by some Opposition members, he said: “My repeated appeals not to do so has been disregarded by them. I ignored all the criticism in the interest and spirit of Parliamentary traditions. The Speaker cannot and defend himself every time he is targeted.”

Asked about the reported move by the TDP to bring its suspended MLA Karanam Balarama Krishnamurthy into the Assembly, he said it was for the House to debate it.