Sittings suspended

Parliamentary corrs

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa suspended parliament sittings for 15 minutes yesterday due to a tense situation which occurred when UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya began to make a statement.

UNP Parliamentarian Jayasuriya attempted to respond to a special statement made by Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha in connection with the statement made by Jayasuriya to a Sunday English newspaper.

Minister Premajayantha made the special statement at the commencement of the orders of the day. When Jayasuriya stood to respond to the special statement, Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa allowed him to make a brief statement stating that his name was mentioned in the special statement.

The Speaker also instructed not to make it an opportunity for a debate. However, Karu Jayasuriya MP could not continue his speech due to the tense situation that broke out during his speech. As a result, the Speaker adjourned sittings at 10.35 am for 15 minutes.

The House resumed sittings at 10.50 am and the Speaker allowed the UNP Deputy Leader to make his statement.