MP Dissanayake hurls standing order book during parliamentary debate

COLOMBO (News1st): A government lawmaker hurled the parliament's book on standing orders - outlining rules of parliament - during a heated parliamentary debate on Wednesday. The incident had been sparked during a tense debate when the opposition accused the government of acting to release its allies from cases that are being heard in court. "The Parliament is a hallowed institution. If a verdict of a case is unfair we can raise concerns inside or outside of Parliament," Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella argued. Chamara Sampath Dissanayake, a government parliamentarian, however, cited restrictions over raising matters on judicial matters, according to the parliament's book on standing orders. "Clauses 31, 32 and 33 talks about the restrictions on raising judicial matters," he said and flung the book pointing out that it had been prepared under the former government, now in the opposition. "Disrespecting the standing orders is no big task for those who threw the constitution and the bible inside this Parliament," Manusha Nanayakkara, an opposition lawmaker pointed out recalling past incidents.