<p>Senior officials from the United States, India, Australia and Japan met in Singapore yesterday to discuss the Indo-Pacific region, with the political crisis in Sri Lanka firmly on the agenda.&nbsp;</p> <p>US officials underscored the importance of "encouragement of an outcome to political developments in Sri Lanka consistent with democratic principles" during the meeting, the State Department said in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The UPFA MP Susil Premajayantha accused the TNA MP M A Sumanthiran of producing the parliamentary disarray which he said, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe directed.&nbsp;</p> <p>"MP Sumanthiran is the producer of the series of these events, and its director is the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, while Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is only an actor in it," Premajayantha told reporters at a press conference this afternoon following a second day of violence within the parliamentary complex.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Current Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena’s schemes “are blowing up in his face” writes The Economist on Thursday, as political turmoil in Colombo continues with violence inside parliament this week.</p> <p>Sri Lanka still “has no clear government” the piece continued, stating it was in a “constitutional quandary” and that the island’s “bureaucracy fell into near paralysis”.</p> <p>The Economist concluded by saying,</p> <blockquote><p>

<p>Sri Lanka's business chambers has urged an end to the political crisis warning of economic downfall otherwise.&nbsp;</p> <p>"We are deeply concerned about the current political situation in the country. It is our view that the executive and the elected representatives have a duty to ensure that decisions are taken with regard for due process and the Rule of Law," a joint statement by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka, Joint Apparel Association Forum and Women's Chamber of Industry and Commerce wrote.&nbsp;</p> <p>"The events of the last few weeks have resulted in absolute instability which is a situation that Sri Lanka simply cannot afford. This will no doubt hinder development and have a significantly adverse impact on the social and economic trajectory of our country. It is observed that the entire administration of this country has come to a standstill and the public officers are paralyzed being unable to discharge their functions. The ultimate victims are the people of our country.</p> <p>We recently witnessed the most unacceptable and abusive behavior displayed in the Chamber of the Sri Lanka Parliament. The conduct of some of the elected representatives was both shameful and an embarrassment to our country.<br> &nbsp;</p>

<p>Britain’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka criticised the “deplorable behaviour” of Sri Lankan lawmakers as a second day of violence engulfed the chamber on Friday.</p> <p>“Today Sri Lankans have again seen deplorable behaviour by some MPs, unbecoming of them and of their noble institution,” said James Dauris in a tweet following Friday’s violence.</p> <p>“No parliament can perform its role when its own members stop it from doing so.”</p> <p>The British statement comes amidst a deepening political crisis in Sri Lanka which has left Colombo in political turmoil.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Amidst a second day of violence by lawmakers inside parliament, Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena vowed that he would not prorogue parliament “under any circumstances”.</p> <p>“I urge all Parliamentarians to uphold principles of democracy parliamentary traditions at all times,” he said whilst MPs were throwing chairs and bottles of water mixed with chilli powder at speaker Karu Jayasuriya this morning.</p> <p>“I will not prorogue the Parliament under any circumstances,” he added.</p>

Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa accused the speaker of parliament Karu Jayasuirya of being “hand in glove with certain Western embassies” as violence erupted in parliament on Thursday.

Rajapaksa, who oversaw a military offensive that killed tens of thousands of Tamil civilians in 2009, accused Jayasuriya and the UNP of being in “violation of the provisions in the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament” by passing a no confidence motion against him in parliament.

“Only the President can appoint a Prime Minister and a Cabinet,” Rajapaksa declared. “The Speaker and Parliament have no role in making such appointments.”

A second day of chaos set off inside Sri Lanka’s parliament as lawmakers hurled chairs, books and water mixed with chilli powder at the Speaker, who had to be shielded by a heavy police escort in the chambers.

Amidst fears of violence spilling into Sri Lanka’s streets and the country’s security forces intervening, international pressure must be sustained, The Guardian argues in its editorial on Thursday.

“The suspicion is that [President Maithripala Sirisena] and his chosen prime minister [Mahinda Rajapaksa] hope to give the impression that Sri Lanka is becoming ungovernable and that fresh elections are the only solution,” the newspaper states.

The Chinese government has expressed its hope that Sri Lanka can maintain stability and deal with the current political crisis.

Responding to a request for comment on the ‘political upheaval’ in Sri Lanka after the Sri Lankan president’s attempt to dissolve parliament was suspended by the Supreme Court and Mahinda Rajapaksa’s position as prime minister suffered a no confidence vote, Hua Chunying, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday: