Joint Opposition(JO) members, who remained in the main Chamber after Speaker Karu Jayasuriya adjourned Parliament, conducted a mock session yesterday ridiculing the Speaker, Parliament and its traditions.
Speaker Jayasuriya abruptly adjourned Parliament following a tense situation created by the Joint Opposition members as they stormed into the well and made a din in the House while the vote on the Gazette Extraordinary proclaiming supply and distribution of fuel an essential service was in progress.
Parliament officials, the Speaker and most of the Government members left the Chamber after the Mace was taken out, but the JO and JVP MPs remained. The Quorum started ringing after about 15 minutes following the adjournment and the media personnel, who were in the press room, rushed back to the Chamber.
As the journalists approached the press gallery, MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage invited them to take their seats stating that Parliament is going to resume. Journalists then came to know that the quorum bell had been rung without reason by one of the Parliamentarians inside the Chamber for their amusement.
For a while MP Prasanna Ranatunga was seen seated on the Parliamentary seat reserved for the President, which is next to the Prime Minister’s seat.
About 20 JO MPs, several JVP MPs, and few UNP backbenchers were seen in the Chamber.
JO MP Ranjith de Zoysa said aloud that they would have to appoint a new Speaker to resume the sittings.
He proposed the name of MP Priyankara Jayaratne for the post and MP Prasanna Ranaweera seconded it. Jayaratne was escorted to the Speaker’s chair by MPs Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Rohitha Abeygunawardena as the other JO MPs cheered.
With Jayaratne in the Speaker’s chair, MP Prasanna Ranaweera made a speech criticising the Government and Speaker. After a while Jayaratne came down to his seat and other JO MPs mocked that the sittings were abruptly suspended. The JO MPs then left the Chamber yelling derisive remarks and slogans against the Speaker and Parliament. The JVP MPs looked on but did not join with the JO.
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