Monks hurt in parly brawl

2004-06-08 11:23

COLOMBO - Two Buddhist monk legislators were admitted to hospital on Tuesday following an unprecedented brawl in Sri Lanka's parliament initiated by ruling party lawmakers, a parliamentary official said.

New legislator Akmeemana Dayaratne and fellow monk MP Kolonnawe Sri Sumangala, both from the opposition National Heritage Party, were admitted to the nearby Jayewardenepura hospital after being punched by ruling party men, officials said.

The ruling Freedom Alliance is furious with Dayaratne, who was selected to replace a fellow monk legislator who had broken ranks to support the shaky government.

Officials said a mace, a symbol of parliamentary authority, was stolen during the brawl, holding up proceedings, and that it was later found in a lobby used by government MPs.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Freedom Alliance won April 2 elections but has so far mustered only 108 seats, five short of a simple majority in the 225-member assembly.

- SAPA