Parliamentary Violence and Examples

A modern government is made up of three basics arms: the Executive, the legislature and the judicially. The Legislature has the responsibility of making laws for the society, the judiciary has the responsibility of interpreting these laws, while the executive’s responsibility is to execute the laws made through sound government policies.

For a modern government to function properly, all arms must perform their responsibilities dutifully and also work together to pursue a common cause and the common good of the people.

The Parliament

Perhaps one of the most important arms of government is the legislature. The importance of the legislature is predicated upon the fact that aside from making laws which are its primary responsibility, it exercises the duty of a watchdog over the executive which is some instances is perceived to be the most powerful arm of government.

Read: Forms of Government as practised in different parts of the world

The legislature is also called the Parliament. Parliaments watch closely what the government does: the president, ministers and other state officials have to justify themselves for whatever they do.

The word parliament is derived from the French word “parler” which means to speak. Parliament is a form of representation where members of parliament called senators, congressmen and other different names all over the world gather to debate on public matters and advance the course of their electorates who sent them to the seat.

Sadly, in the modern-day government, modern-day parliaments have been overtaken by the politicians in the guise of representatives of the people; who represent their personal and party interest over that of the society. When party interests clash in the parliament, it is not uncommon to see politicians, the elite problem solvers saddled with the enormous responsibility of making tough decisions exchange blows.

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Parliamentary fights occur all over the world, while some countries parliamentarians have been well behaved in their conducts, some nations have become the heaven of parliamentary fights.

Example of parliamentary fights:

Ghana

Ghana Parliament is the most recent Parliament to have a scuffle show in the chambers beating the United States Capitol invasion to the prize Opposition politicians clashed in Ghana’s parliament on Wednesday night the 7th of January 2020, prompting a military intervention.

Legislators were voting to choose the next parliament speaker. Chaos erupted after a lawmaker from the ruling party tried to seize the ballot box. The ensuing clash lasted several hours until the army moved in, with national television broadcasting the drama live.

Nigeria

A fight broke out in the National Assembly after a group of members were suspended for accusing the speaker of corruption on second June 2020

Nigerian politicians were involved in a fight after a group from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) tried to address parliament 18th September 2013.

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South Africa

Members of the EEF party became engaged in a brawl with security guards after attempting to prevent President Jacob Zuma from addressing the parliament on 17 May 2016. Before the South African General Election in 2019, members of the EEF and BFLF parties began hitting each other and throwing chairs on 5 April 2019

Ukraine

A debate on extending Russia’s naval base lease in the Black Sea in exchange for cheaper oil descended into a mass brawl, involving smoke bombs, eggs and general fighting among members. The Speaker had to be escorted from the chamber, covered by umbrellas on 27 April 2010

Violent scuffles broke out in the Ukrainian Parliament on 24 May 2012 during a debate over a bill which would allow the official use of Russian language in certain parts of the country.

Two parliament members got into an argument on the floor. Shevchenko accused Lyashko, who had built an image as a combative opponent of pro-Russian Separatists, of never having visited the separatist eastern region. The argument eventually led to Shevchenko punching Lyashko in the face on 14 August 2014

Yuri Boyce of the centre-left Opposition Bloc, punched Oleg Lyashko in the face after the left-wing Radical Party member purportedly accused him of being a “Kremlin agent” on 14 November 2016

A brawl broke out in the Ukrainian parliament after the opposition politician tore down a poster of oligarch and politician on 20 December 2018

Kenya

Kenya’s lawmakers come to blows in parliament chamber over proposed security bill – meanwhile police arrest protesters outside the building.