India urges respect for democracy

India on Sunday reacted to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s dismissal of prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and suspension of Parliament by saying it expects “democratic values and the constitutional process” to be respected in the Indian Ocean nation.

Indian officials had earlier said the New Delhi was closely monitoring the situation following the dismissal of Wickremesinghe and the swearing in of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as the premier on Friday, though there was no formal reaction from the external affairs ministry. The ministry broke its silence on Sunday, with spokesperson Raveesh Kumar saying India was “closely following the recent political developments in Sri Lanka”.

He added, “As a democracy and a close friendly neighbour, we hope that democratic values and the constitutional process will be respected. We will continue to extend our developmental assistance to the friendly people of Sri Lanka.”

India is involved in several infrastructure and housing projects in Sri Lanka and has stepped up its efforts to counter China’s growing presence there. Rajapaksa is seen as close to China. The US has called on all parties in Sri Lanka to refrain from violence and follow due process while the UK said all parties should ensure the Constitution is respected.

Wickremesinghe’s sacking created a constitutional crisis, with experts and politicians in Sri Lanka noting he had not been given a chance to prove his majority in Parliament. The move followed months of tensions between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe, mostly over differences on economic decisions. After Wickremesinghe insisted that he was still the premier and sought an emergency session of Parliament to be convened so that he could prove his majority, Sirisena on Saturday suspended the House till November 16.