Ajith Mannaperuma suspended from Parliament 

• Speaker admonishes Mannaperuma for behaviour unbecoming of an MP 
• Suspends MP for touching Mace which is considered a serious misconduct
• Calls on all MPs to uphold discipline by adhering to Standing Orders of Parliament

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena suspended Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Gampaha District MP Ajith Mannapperuma from Parliament for four weeks after the MP was seen touching the Mace during a tense situation in the House yesterday.

The Speaker reprimanded Mannapperuma and instructed him to vacate the parliamentary floor. Abeywardena said Mannapperuma’s conduct was unbecoming of a Member of Parliament and adjourned parliamentary proceedings for 10 minutes due to the heated arguments that ensued in the chamber.

On resuming the parliamentary proceedings, the Speaker announced the decision to suspend Mannapperuma and cited the decision as being in accordance with Standing Order No. 77 / III. He said the MP’s act of touching the Mace within the Parliament chamber during the proceedings was considered a ‘serious misconduct.’

Additionally, he called on all parliamentarians to uphold discipline by adhering to the Standing Orders of Parliament.

The tense situation erupted when Mannapperuma raised a question in Parliament just as the allotted Question time was concluding.  Despite the Speaker’s repeated calls for the Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, to address the question, although the allocated time had elapsed, Alles evaded responding and eventually left the parliamentary session after 10 minutes, resulting in a heated exchange between the Government and the Opposition.