Sri Lanka suspends 2 lawmakers over fistfight in parliament
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sri Lanka's ruling United National Party lawmaker Sandith Samarasinghe lies on a hospital bed in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Samarasinghe was hospitalized and several lawmakers were injured in fisticuffs inside Sri Lanka's Parliament after a protest over the removal of military security for former President Mahinda Rajapakasa.(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) (The Associated Press)
Sri Lanka's Parliament has suspended two lawmakers for one week for getting into a fistfight that left several lawmakers injured earlier this week.
Parliament passed a motion Thursday to impose a one-week suspension on ruling coalition lawmaker Palitha Thewarapperuma and opposition lawmaker Prasanna Ranaweera.
Tuesday's altercation inside Parliament arose after a protest over the removal of military security for former President Mahinda Rajapakasa. One lawmaker was hospitalized.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The fracas occurred after an argument between opposition and government lawmakers over the removal of army soldiers from the security of the former president.
Rajapaksa, who led the country during the end of Sri Lanka's civil war, lost his bid for re-election last year but was later elected as a lawmaker.