Lanka crisis deepens, minister says China behind horse- trading

Colombo, Oct. 30: Sri Lanka’s rival Prime Ministers battled to tempt lawmakers from opposing sides as they sought numbers to swing any parliamentary vote of confidence to end the country’s constitutional crisis.

Parliament has been suspended since President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister last Friday and nominated former strongarm leader Mahinda Rajapaksa for a spectacular return to frontline politics.

While Mr Wickremesinghe has been backed by the US and other countries in calling for the suspension to be lifted, both sides have been marshalling their support for a vote that will decide the rivals’ fate.

Mr Rajapaksa, 72, gave four legislators from Mr Wickremesinghe’s party ministerial portfolios after persuading them to defect on Monday.

Mr Wickremesinghe has in turn convinced two lawmakers from Mr Sirisena’s camp to join his United National Party.

Following the defections, Mr Wickremesinghe has 105 MPs in the 225- seat chamber while Mr Rajapaksa and Mr Sirisena together have 98.

A deputy minister in Mr Wickremesinghe’s administration, Ranjan Ramanayake, accused China of paying for Mr Rajapaksa to buy legislators. “I am telling China not to spend their millions to buy MPs in Sri Lanka. They want to buy the country wholesale,” he said.

The claim was denied by the Chinese embassy in Colombo.

I am telling China not to spend their millions to buy MPs in Sri Lanka. They want to buy the country wholesale. — Ranjan Ramanayake, Deputy minister