President Suspends Parliament as Sri Lanka Crisis Worsens
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena suspended parliament on Saturday to forestall a challenge against his surprise ouster of the prime minister, deepening a sudden swell of political turmoil in the island nation.
Police cancelled all leave as tensions heightened in Colombo a day after the president dismissed Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with controversial former strongman leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Parliamentary officials said the president had suspended parliament until November 16. Mr Wickremesinghe had earlier demanded an emergency session to prove he still commanded a majority. Mr Wickremesinghe continued to occupy Temple Trees, the official residence of the prime minister, and insisted in a letter to Mr Sirisena that he was still in office.
“Get this controversy out of the way,” Mr Wickremesinghe told reporters in a press conference at the residence.
“Reconvene parliament immediately so that I can prove my majority.”
Parliamentary sources said Speaker Karu Jayasuriya would now have to decide if he recognised Mr Rajapaksa or Mr Wickremesinghe as the prime minister. The falling out between two former allies has come to a rapid head since Mr Sirisena earlier this year backed a no-confidence motion against the man he had handpicked to lead the government.
Mr Sirisena initially said he would be a one-term president, but later indicated he will seek reelection next year, pitting himself against Mr Wickremesinghe who also has presidential ambitions. China’s ambassador to Colombo, Cheng Xueyuan, met separately with Mr Rajapaksa and Mr Wickremesinghe on Saturday, officials said.
Details of those talks were not immediately available. Regional power India was also “closely watching” developments in Colombo, official sources in New Delhi told AFP.
Mr Rajapaksa is seen as being closer to China than Mr Wickremesinghe, who had sought to reestablish stronger ties with traditional ally India. Separately, Colombo-based Western diplomats met Mr Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees residence for a briefing about the sacking. Before the meet, the United States urged all sides to abide by Sri Lanka’s constitution and refrain from violence. European ambassadors in Colombo issued a similar message on Saturday.
STANDOFF
Mr Rajapaksa loyalists stormed two state-owned television networks - which they regard as loyal to Mr Wickremesinghe’s outgoing government - and forced them off the air. They resumed broadcasting on Saturday and were supporting Mr Rajapaksa.
There were reports of sporadic attacks against supporters of Mr Wickremesinghe’s United National Party in several parts of the country after Mr Rajapaksa was sworn in late last Friday.
The streets of the capital remained calm Saturday but security was tightened around Mr Rajapaksa’s residence and the state television station.
Mr Sirisena had withdrawn Mr Wickremesinghe’s security detail and vehicles, said finance minister Mangala Samaraweera.
After winning the premiership a third time in August 2015, Mr Wickremesinghe amended the constitution to remove the head of state’s power to sack prime ministers to prevent a repeat of his earlier ouster. However, Mr Sirisena proceeded last Friday despite the insistence of many political observers that he lacked the power to remove the premier. Political commentator Victor Ivan said Mr Sirisena’s action was a blatant violation of the constitution.
“This is a capture of power through a conspiracy,” Mr Ivan said.
However, Mr Rajapaksa loyalist and former foreign minister G L Peiris said they believed there was nothing illegal about sacking Mr Wickremesinghe and challenged him to prove his majority on November 16.
TALKS ON CABINET
Since his rushed swearing in, Mr Rajapaksa has yet to announce any official moves although several of his supporters said they expect a new cabinet to be formed and talks were underway.
Mr Rajapaksa, 72, is a controversial figure at home and abroad, but has pushed for a return to frontline politics since he lost the presidential election to Mr Sirisena in 2015. His decade in power saw Colombo crush a decades-long Tamil Tiger uprising.
Rights groups say tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed in the final stages of the campaign, but Mr Rajapaksa has refused to acknowledge any abuses in the civil war.