Speaker suspends sittings to bring order to Lanka's Parliament

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 June 2003, 10:30 GMT]
Pandemonium prevailed in Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday morning when opposition parliamentarians placed a wreath in front of the seat when the Interior Minister Mr.John Amaratunge rose to reply a verbal question from the opposition, parliamentary sources said.

When parliament resumed its sitting for the month of June Tuesday, former minister and presently a PA parliamentarian Mr.Nimal Sripala de Silva raised a question over the killing of a Southern Provincial Council Minister Mr.Ranjith in the high security zone in Colombo recently, sources said

When the Interior Minister Mr.John Amaratunge rose from his seat to reply a group of PA and JVP parliamentarians entered the chamber of the house and placed a wreath in front of his seat. Immediately UNF government parliamentarians removed the wreath and placed it in front of the seat of the Opposition Leader Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse.

Pandemonium reigned when opposition parliamentarians rushed to the well of the house with placards. Some shouted slogans blaming the UNF government for the murder of provincial council minister Mr.Ranjith, parliamentary sources said.

Speaker Mr.Joseph Michael Perera was compelled to suspend the sitting for about half an hour as the situation went beyond his control. On the orders of the Speaker, parliament employees rushed and removed the wreath from the well of the house, parliamentary sources said.