Sri Lankan parliament decends into chaos 

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Rival members of the Sri Lankan parliament gesture at each other next to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya (centre right, seated) during clashes among politicians at a session of parliament in Colombo. — AFP photo

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s parliament descended into chaos yesterday with MPs swinging punches and throwing projectiles a day after legislators voted the prime minister out of office.

“It was difficult to make out immediately who was hitting whom, but several were hurt, but not seriously,” an official in parliament told AFP.

“The speaker adjourned the House temporarily.”

One legislator was hospitalised, he added.

Rajapaksa speaks during the parliament session in Colombo, Sri Lanka. — Reuters photo

Sri Lanka has endured nearly three weeks of crisis after President Maithripala Sirisena fired Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister and replaced him with Mahinda Rajapakse on Oct 26.

Sirisena then dissolved the strategically important Indian Ocean nation’s parliament and called snap elections.

However, these moves were suspended by the Supreme Court earlier this week pending an investigation.

On Wednesday parliament reconvened and lawmakers approved a motion of no-confidence in Rajapakse’s cabinet, also passing motions declaring Sirisena’s moves as illegal. — AFP