Joint Opposition leader Dinesh Gunawardena has been suspended from parliament for a week....

Sri Lanka

Joint Opposition leader Dinesh Gunawardena has been suspended from parliamentary sittings for a week following a vote taken due to the MP repeatedly disrupting proceedings today (8). A total of 85 parliamentarians voted in favour of the decision and only 22 voted against while another 114 were absent during the vote. Three MPs abstained from voting.  With the Speaker announcing that NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa and members of his party cannot sit independently in Parliament, the MPs representing the ‘Joint Opposition’ including Gunawardena had behaved in an unruly manner while disrupting proceedings.  This had resulted in parliament being adjourned for 10 minutes while afterwards the Speaker ordered the Colombo District UPFA MP to leave the House.  Gunawardena was ordered to leave the House under Standing Orders 74. (1), which states that the Speaker shall order members whose conduct is grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from Parliament during the remainder of the day’s sitting and may direct such steps to be taken as are required to enforce his order.   However, the MP refused to heed the Speaker’s orders and continued disrupt the proceedings, prompting Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to order him to leave the chambers for a third time and summon the Serjeant-at-Arms and police officers.   Gunawardena still refused to move stating that he would only leave the parliament if an MP brings a motion against him and it is passed with a vote.  Finally the Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella tabled a motion stating that Dinesh Gunawardena should leave the parliament and that he should be suspended for a week.