SLPP raises concerns over MP safety

By Nuwan Senarathna

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday raised concerns over the safety of parliamentarians and said they could not accept the behaviour of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya after the events that transpired in Parliament.  

The tense situation, which led to one MP being hospitalised, had raised concerns over the safety of MPs in the House, charged SLPP MP Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena at a press conference held at the Prime Minister’s office.

“We would never have anticipated such behaviour from Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. He was a reputed politician but he had lost all respect by behaving like a partisan politician in Parliament,” he said. 

He noted parliamentarians loyal to MP Mahinda Rajapaksa would request President Maithripala Sirisena and Speaker Jayasuriya to increase the level of security for MPs to prevent the recurrence of such an incident in the House. 

Speaking to reporters, SLPP MP Indika Anuruddha said he had lodged a complaint at the Police Unit in Parliament over the alleged incident of MP Palitha Thewarapperuma brandishing a silver object during the brawl in the well of the Parliament. “If MP Johnston Fernando hadn’t reacted, few MPs would have been killed or wounded,” he alleged. 

“MP Ranjan Ramanayake was also attempting to cause bodily harm and had threatened to kill us along with MP Thewarapperuma.”

MP Johnston Fernando also said that Parliament had become unsafe for MPs.  “MP Mahinda Rajapaksa was five chairs away from MP Thewarapperuma, but once we informed the Speaker about the matter he did not seem to take the danger seriously,” he added.

He insisted that an immediate investigation needed to be carried out to find out the motive behind MP Thewarapperuma brandishing a silver object when the House descended into turmoil after Speaker Jayasuriya called for a vote.