Rival politicians have exchanged blows in Sri Lanka’s Parliament as the disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed the speaker had no authority to remove him from office by voice vote.
Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya said the country had no government as Parliament re-convened on Thursday a day after the no-confidence vote against Mr Rajapaksa.
He said there was no prime minister, neither Mr Rajapaksa nor his rival whose ousting in late October started the crisis.
More than two dozen politicians fought and some who fell on the floor were kicked by rivals.
Some of Mr Rajapaksa’s supporters threw water bottles and rubbish bins in the House. The speaker then adjourned the proceedings of the House.
Mr Rajapaksa said the no-confidence vote should not have been a voice vote. He also called for fresh elections.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here