Keeping the House in order

The new cohort of first-time MPs is expected to avoid becoming pawns in the hands of a handful of leaders.

The new members of the House of Representatives, barring a few, took oath of office on Thursday. With almost 50 percent new (and mostly young) faces, the Parliament this time is expected to be vibrant. There will surely be a face-off between the old and the new, the experienced and the hot-blooded. And with this will come the responsibility of maintaining the decorum of the house and upholding the principles of parliamentary democracy. That will be one of the lesser challenges.