ZCZC
BFF-47
SRILANKA-POLITICS
Chilli powder thrown as Sri Lankan MPs brawl again
COLOMBO, Nov 16, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Sri Lanka’s political crisis escalated
Friday with police having to escort the speaker into parliament and MPs
throwing chilli powder and furniture at rivals.
The Indian Ocean nation has been paralysed since October 26 when President
Maithripala Sirisena sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe as premier and replaced him
with former strongman Mahinda Rajapakse.
On Friday speaker Karu Jayasuriya was blocked from taking his chair for
almost an hour by a group of legislators backing Rajapakse. Finally,
Jayasuriya entered the red-carpeted chamber protected by dozens of unarmed
officers and parliamentary staff.
Rioting MPs took away the ceremonial chair, but staff carried in an
ordinary office chair as a makeshift replacement.
However, rioters grabbed that chair too, breaking it into pieces that were
then used as projectiles to attack rivals and police.
A former parliament staffer said Friday’s scenes were unprecedented.
“We haven’t had a situation where the speaker was prevented from entering
the chamber,” former sergeant-at-arms Wijaya Palliyaguruge told AFP. “This is
also the first time that the speaker had to come in with police protection.”
The British High Commissioner (ambassador) James Dauris echoed
international concern over violence in Sri Lanka’s parliament, a legacy from
British colonial rule that ended in 1948.
“Sri Lankans have again seen deplorable behaviour by some MPs, unbecoming
of them and of their noble institution,” Dauris said on Twitter. “No
parliament can perform its role when its own members stop it from doing so.”
– No confidence –
Standing in a corner with a human shield of khaki-clad constables, the
speaker, in his usual black and gold robes, used a wireless microphone to
take a voice vote on a revised no-confidence motion against Rajapakse.
MORE/SSS/1927 hrs
ZCZC
BFF-48
SRILANKA-POLITICS-2-LAST
Rajapakse lost a similar vote on Wednesday, but refused to step down saying
that vote was not taken properly. His party had acknowledged that they did
not command a majority in the 225-member assembly despite attempts to
engineer defections.
President Sirisena, who has the power to appoint a new prime minister, told
political parties representing a majority of legislators on Thursday night to
submit an amended motion to confirm the toppling of Rajapakse.
On Thursday MPs moved another resolution against Rajapakse, this time to
reject his call for snap elections. That vote could not go ahead after
parliament descended into chaos, as punches and projectiles flew.
Rajapakse himself stayed away from the rioting and walked out of the
chamber after the no-trust motion was passed against him.
A Rajapakse loyalist was seen throwing chilli powder at rival legislators
and police. Several constables and legislators were taken to the parliament’s
medical centre for first aid.
Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, a legislator from ousted prime minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe’s party, said he was among those treated after chilli mixed
with water was thrown at his face.
Leftist lawmaker Vijitha Herath said he suffered a forehead injury when a
rival hit him with a hard-cover copy of the constitution that was on the
speaker’s table.
“I was also attacked with chilli water,” Herath said. “Usually, chilli
powder or water is the favourite weapon of bank robbers and gangsters.”
Another legislator Anura Kumara Dissanayake said he saw a Rajapakse
supporter assaulting a parliament employee who had been guarding the
speaker’s chamber.
“It was disgusting to see the behaviour of these MPs,” Dissanayake said.
“They were going to great lengths to prevent today’s vote, but they did not
succeed.”
Rajapakse’s spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella denied they attacked police or
staff, but blamed the speaker for the chaos.
“He (the speaker) need not have rushed the vote,” Rambukwella told
reporters in parliament after sittings were adjourned till Monday.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1928 hrs