Sri Lankan lawmakers brawl in Parliament over PM row - VIDEO

Baku. 16 November. REPORT.AZ/ As Sri Lanka’s president met with opposition lawmakers over a no-confidence vote against his newly appointed prime minister, thousands rallied in support of the prime minister he ousted, burning coffins representing what they called the death of democracy in the Indian Ocean nation.

Earlier Thursday, rival lawmakers exchanged blows in Sri Lanka’s Parliament after disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed the speaker had no authority to remove him from office by a voice vote on Wednesday, when lawmakers convened for the first time since a political crisis began Oct. 26 with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s ouster.

As a result of the fight, several deputies were injured, the speaker left the courtroom, and the work of the Parliament was suspended.

The political crisis in the island nation has continued since the end of October, when Rajapaksa was sworn in.