Sri Lanka Opposition Walks Out Over Speaker's Rebuff

Sri Lanka's opposition walked out of parliament after their leader was not allowed to speak about tensions between Israel and Iran. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa called it a national importance statement, but Speaker Jagath Wickremaratna cited procedural rules. The opposition condemned the decision and exited in protest.

In a dramatic turn of events, Sri Lanka's opposition staged a walkout from parliament on Tuesday. This protest came after their leader, Sajith Premadasa, was barred from making a statement on the rising tensions between Israel and Iran, which he deemed of national importance.

Premadasa's attempt to address the legislature was thwarted by Speaker Jagath Wickremaratna, who insisted that procedural norms must be followed. The Speaker's ruling that prior notice was necessary sparked objections from the opposition bench.

Chief opposition whip Gayantha Karunatilaka criticized the decision, highlighting the economic implications of the issue. The opposition, led by an indignant Premadasa, left the parliament in protest, while the government maintained that discussions would take place later during the adjournment time.

(With inputs from agencies.)