COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka's parliamentary speaker had to be escorted into the chamber ringed by police on Friday (Nov 16) as violence broke out for a second day, with lawmakers throwing chilli powder and furniture in the melee between rival factions in the island's constitutional crisis.
The Indian Ocean nation has been paralysed since Oct 26 when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe as premier and replaced him with former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya was blocked from taking his chair for almost an hour by a group of legislators and was only able to take his place after he entered the assembly ringed by unarmed officers and parliamentary staff.
They then tried to shield Jayasuriya as supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa, who lost a vote of no confidence as prime minister on Wednesday, pelted him with books and stationery.
MPs broke furniture and attacked officers and some Rajapaksa loyalists were also seen throwing chilli powder at rival legislators and police.
Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, a legislator from ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's party, said chilli mixed water was thrown at his face and he later required treatment in the Parliament's medical centre.
On Thursday, punches were thrown in Parliament, deepening international concern with the German ambassador to the island nation saying it was "unbecoming of a democracy".
Day-to-day administration in Sri Lanka remains paralysed as the crisis drags on.
Parliament reconvened on Wednesday and lawmakers approved a motion of no-confidence in what they called Rajapaksa's "purported" Cabinet, also passing motions declaring Sirisena's moves illegal.
Sirisena on Thursday asked Parliament to amend and resubmit the no-confidence motion.
On Thursday, MPs moved another resolution against Rajapaksa, this time to reject his call for snap elections.
Speaker Jayasuriya said he will reconvene Parliament on Monday for routine business.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/s...as-sri-lanka-parliament-brawls-for-second-day