Parliament in chaos over opposition demand for reports

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

Parliament was thrown into chaos yesterday as opposition MPs staged a noisy protest demanding the immediate tabling of key documents related to the no-confidence motion against Deputy Minister Aruna Jayasekera.  
The uproar began when opposition members insisted that two reports — one from the Attorney General and another from the committee of secretaries of Parliament — be presented to the House without delay. MPs chanted “Diyavu Diyavu — Wartha deka diyavu!” (“Give, give — hand over the two reports!”), forcing Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne to briefly suspend proceedings.  
Tensions escalated further when Leader of the House Bimal Ratnayake referred to opposition MPs as “Lapai Sipai,” a derogatory remark implying incompetence. The opposition demanded an immediate withdrawal of the remark and threatened to boycott oral questions unless an apology was made.  
In turn, Ratnayake demanded that the opposition withdraw critical remarks made against the Speaker, including a jibe comparing him to a public health officer.  
By evening, Speaker Wickramaratne moved to defuse the standoff, assuring that the opposition would be given access to the disputed documents. Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunathilake later confirmed that the reports would be handed over to a group led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and himself.