Sri Lanka: New PM in, former minister held
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s president swore in a new Cabinet on Monday despite a warning by Parliament’s speaker of a possible bloodbath if lawmakers are not summoned immediately to resolve a deepening political crisis following the president’s sacking of the prime minister.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s comments came hours after dismissed prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe demanded the reconvening of Parliament, saying he still controls a majority of the lawmakers.
President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Wickremesinghe on Friday and replaced him with former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa. On Saturday, Sirisena suspended Parliament in an apparent move to give Rajapaksa time to muster enough support to survive any no-confidence vote.
Sirisena proceeded on Monday to swear in 12 cabinet ministers, one state minister and a deputy minister. The rest of the ministers will be appointed later, presidential spokesman Dharma Sri Ekanayake said.
Jayasuriya said the crisis should be quickly resolved by Parliament and added that he has already asked Sirisena to summon lawmakers. “Some are trying to resolve this matter in the streets. If that happens, a bloodbath could occur,” he said.
Two people died and one was wounded in a shooting on Sunday at the Petroleum ministry, the first violence related to the political turmoil. Arjuna Ranatunga, who was petroleum minister under Wickremesinghe, said one of his security guards opened fire when Rajapaksa supporters mobbed him and protested his entry to the ministry.
On Monday, police arrested Ranatunga, a cricketer-turned politician, in connection with the shooting, state television said. His security guard was arrested on Sunday. Ranatunga, who was the captain of the Sri Lankan team which won the 1996 World Cup, was later released on bail.
Wickremesinghe said on Monday that “Parliament can decide who has the majority. We can all abide by it.”
“At the moment, there is a vacuum and constitutional crisis. This is why we are asking Parliament to be summoned,” he said.
State department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said US is following the events “with concern” and called on Sirisena to reconvene Parliament.