TNA MPs protest over SL Government's failure to pullout troops

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 June 2005, 08:40 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Tuesday brought the proceedings of Sri Lanka parliament to a halt twice staging a protest in the well of the House spotlighting the failure of the Sri Lanka government to keep its promise to withdraw government troops in deployed in the east port town after the unlawful erection of the controversial Buddha statue near the central bus stand in Trincomalee, parliamentary sources said.

The proceedings of the parliament Tuesday morning commenced and Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, TNA Jaffna district parliamentarian made a statement regarding the failure of the government to withdraw government troops as promised by a government ministerial team to the representatives of the Tamil District Tamil Peoples' Forum led by its President Mr.V.Vigneswaran and Trincomalee district parliamentarians Mr.R.Sampanthan and Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham at the office of the North East Provincial Governor in Trincomalee, sources said.

Mr.Mavai Senathirajah wanted a responsible minister to reply. But the Deputy Minister for Defence Mr.Ratnasiri Wickremanayake was not in the House

Thereafter TNA parliamentarians walked into the well of the House and protested.

Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara, Speaker adjourned the House for about ten minutes. When the house resumed its sitting, TNA parliamentarians continued their protest. Then the Speaker adjourned the House for the second time.

Later the House resumed its sitting with the Deputy Speaker in the chair while the Speaker was holding discussion with the leaders of political parties in his chamber, sources said.

Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham, National List parliamentarian of the TNA said later that the government is to make a statement on the Trincomalee situation Wednesday in parliament.

Thereafter the parliament carried its business according to its agenda, sources said.