2ND LEAD (adds details)

JM tabled, pandemoniam in Sri Lanka Parliament

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 June 2005, 03:38 GMT]
As Minister Mr Maithiripala Sirisena, Leader of the House, began to read the Joint Mechanism proposal in Sri Lanka's Parliament at 9.45am Friday, parliamentarians belonging to marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), including its propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawanse, started shouting disrupting the parliamentary session in progress. Parliamentary sources said the session has been suspended for ten minutes due to continuous disruption of the proceedings. Copies of the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Establishment of a Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) were distributed to all parliamentarians in three languages.

Pandemonium reigned in the House following JVP protests. The Speaker thereafter temporarily adjourned the sittings but due to the unrest among legislators the Speaker decided against reconvening the session, sources said.

Tension prevailed in Parliament as it reconvened Friday morning at 9.30 a.m with the Speaker in the chair. Copies of the proposed Joint mechanism were distributed to all parliamentarians in three languages. At about 945 a.m. Minister Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, Leader of the House started reading the Joint Mechanism proposal. Within minutes JVP parliamentarians rose and walked into the well of the House and started shouting against the JM proposal waving black flags. Some of JVP parliamentarians were seen surrounding Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena shouting at him as he was reading the JM proposal, sources said.

Meanwhile, outside the Parliament, at Battaramulla Junction, Police used teargas and dispersed nearly two thousand people holding a demonstration at the junction in front of the security check point on the road which leads to the parliamentary complex while the Speaker Mr.W.M.J.Lokkubandara adjourned the parliament Friday at about 9.47 am as pandemonium reigned in the house following the black flag protest by the JVP parliamentarians.

Access road to the parliament remained closed.