Yesterday’s morning session of Parliament was disrupted and sittings were suspended twice in 25 minutes following a display of a banner by UNP MP Palitha Range Bandara inside the chambers.

MP Bandara put up a banner which had a picture of his party office and house that had been burnt down by an unidentified group recently.

The banner also carried a line which said: "Sri Lanka: Democracy at work!" MP Bandara’s banner provoked government MPs to protest and demand the Chair to take action to remove it from the Chamber.

As lawmakers of both sides of the House traded accusations and counter-accusations, the Speaker decided to suspend sittings for ten minutes.

When sittings resumed later, non-Cabinet Ministers Mervyn Silva and Mahinda Rathnatilake entered the chambers with white cloth draped around their heads. When Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara had just begun to make a statement on the progress of investigations conducted by Police into the incident where MP Range Bandara’s house and office premises were set ablaze, Ministers Mervyn Silva and Rathnatilake displayed the white cloth in protest against Bandara’s banner. They demanded the Chair to order the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove the banner from the Chambers.

UNP MP Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said that the government nearing its end and therefore it may need more white cloth.

Minister Silva rolled the piece of white cloth into a ball and threw it at the Opposition benches. Speaker Lokubandara suspended the sittings for the second time and that was for another 15 minutes.

When sittings resumed, the Speaker said he regretted the conduct of Ministers and MPs.

He said that the incident where his house and office were set ablaze had been conveyed to him by MP Range Bandara last Friday.

The Speaker said: "I contacted the IGP and asked for details of the investigations. I have received a report this morning that statements from suspects and witnesses wererecorded. Several persons are yet to make their statements. This is an indication that investigations are in progress. I have summoned the DIG Wayamba Region and would ask him to be present at the next party leaders’ meeting and enlighten us on the progress of investigations."

"I will allow MP Range Bandara, too, to be present at this meeting so that he could present any details and information to the DIG. Now please remove that banner" the speaker said.

MP Range Bandara said that he would remove the banner for the time being but would put it up again when he made a special statement later in the day.