Sri Lanka's controversial joint deal with the Tamil Tigers for tsunami relief co-ordination was signed Friday amidst unruly scenes in the legislature.

The office of the Leader of the House of Parliament and senior minister Maithripala Sirisena confirmed that the deal was signed at 10:35 a.m. local time by the Secretary to the Ministry of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.

Sirisena it was who presented the deal known as Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) in parliament for an adjournment debate.

Subsequent unruly scenes which enacted in parliament thereafter forced the postponement of sessions until July 5.

Speaker WJM Lokubandara said he was suspending sitting as 10:20 a.m. local time (0420 GMT) following noisy protests carrying black flags inside the chamber.

When Sirisena presented the motion, the JVP or the People's Liberation Front legislators got up in unison demanding to know if the deal had already been signed.

Sirisena said it will be revealed in due course. Then the JVP came running near his seat and started protesting.

The police used tear gas at a gathering of around 2,000 JVPers who were demonstrating against the move when they tried to rip through the police barricades.

The JVP on June 16 had walked out of the government of the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga protesting over the deal which they claimed was impinging on the country's sovereignty.

Kumaratunga maintained that the deal was only an administrative mechanism to ensure equitable distribution of Tsunami relief assistance to Tamil held regions in the north and east.

Kumaratunga also faced stiff opposition from the influential Buddhist clergy over the move.

Source: Xinhua