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WORLD NEWS Friday 16 November 2018

Sri Lankan lawmakers fight in Parliament over PM dispute

By BHARATHA MALLA- Amunugama was taken
WARACHI to a hospital with injuries to
Associated Press his hand incurred while try-
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) ing to take the microphone
— As Sri Lanka’s president from the speaker’s table.
met with opposition law- Several dozen lawmakers in
makers over a no-confi- white robes in the 225-mem-
dence vote against his ber house engaged in the
newly appointed prime melee, some throwing wa-
minister, thousands rallied ter bottles, pitching trash
in support of the prime cans and landing kicks.
minister he ousted, burning Those opposed to Rajapak-
coffins representing what sa surrounded Jayasuriya
they called the death of to protect him. The com-
democracy in the Indian motion went on for about
Ocean nation. half an hour before Jayas-
Earlier Thursday, rival law- uriya adjourned the house.
makers exchanged blows “The speaker was under
in Sri Lanka’s Parliament complete siege, he came
after disputed Prime Min- In this image made from video, Sri Lanka’s lawmakers scuffle at the parliament in Colombo, very close to being physi-
ister Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. cally assaulted by MPs sup-
claimed the speaker had Associated Press porting Rajapaksa,” said
no authority to remove him told the chamber that the He accused the speaker of The brawl erupted after the Chandani Kirinde, a senior
from office by a voice vote. country had no govern- partiality toward his party, opposition asked for a vote correspondent of the Sun-
That happened Wednes- ment and there was no the United National Party, on Rajapaksa’s statement, day Times, a weekly paper
day when lawmakers con- prime minister. led by Wickremesinghe. with some lawmakers sup- in Sri Lanka. “While clashes
vened for the first time since Rajapaksa disagreed, say- Rajapaksa also repeated porting him gathering in the have happened in the
a political crisis began Oct. ing “a vote should have his call for new elections, middle of the house while house, this is probably the
26 with Prime Minister Ranil been taken. Such impor- suggesting that it was the others rushed Jayasuriya, first time the speaker came
Wickremesinghe’s ouster. tant motions should not be best way to resolve the cri- tussling for his microphone. under so much intimidation
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya passed by a voice vote.” sis. Rajapaksa ally Dilum and abuse.”q

Thousands demand resignation of Czech PM over fraud scandal

Associated Press in the case. Babis denies dence vote in Parliament’s
PRAGUE (AP) — Thousands that, saying his son — who lower house over the scan-
of Czechs are rallying in lives in Switzerland and is dal.
Prague to demand the res- mentally ill — was there vol- Parliament’s upper house
ignation of Prime Minister untarily. on Thursday asked Babis to
Andrej Babis over a fraud More protests are sched- step down until the investi-
scandal. uled for Saturday. gation is completed.q
Babis faces charges that Babis’ coalition govern-
he has misused EU subsidies ment will face a confi-
for a farm he transferred to
his family members, includ-
ing his son, Andrej Babis, Jr.
Babis denies wrongdoing.
The Czech leader been un-
der increased pressure this
Several thousands of demonstrators gathers to demand
resignation of Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Andrej Babis at week after his son told an
the Wenceslas square in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, online news portal he was
Nov. 15, 2018. deliberately kept in Crimea
Associated Press to avoid being questioned