Lanka MPs seek suspension of funds allocated to Rajapaksa
colombo — Sri Lanka’s newly-appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who lost two motions of no confidence last week, may lose his government’s budget even as he clings to power.
Lawmakers opposed to Rajapaksa said they intend to remove funding for staff salaries and other costs in a vote on November 29. The opposition, which regards his administration as illegitimate, will also seek approval to slash the government’s overall budget, they said.
It was the latest of several new twists on Monday in the political chaos that has embroiled Sri Lanka for the past few weeks.
Leaders of political parties backing Rajapaksa and President Maithripala Sirisena refused to allow a third motion of no confidence to be held through name call or electronic voting on Monday.
The previous two motions passed through a voice vote but Sirisena said they hadn’t followed the proper procedures. Sirisena appointed Rajapaksa last month after firing Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister, setting off the political turmoil on the island off India’s southeast coast.
Dinesh Gunawardene, a Rajapaksa loyalist, said Wickremesinghe’s coalition had handed a motion “to suspend all government expenses” to the speaker and the parliament secretary. “According to the previous no confidence motions, both Rajapaksa and his government are out. There is no government, but there are MPs,” MA Sumanthiran, a lawmaker who had
The finances of the country is under the control of the parliament. Now we have proposed a motion to stop government finances for the prime minister’s office.
MA Sumanthiran, A lawmaker
voted for the no confidence motion, said. “The finances of the country is under the control of the parliament. Now we have proposed a motion to stop government finances for the prime minister’s office,” he said.
Ananda Kumarasiri, the deputy speaker of the parliament, established a select committee to carry on parliamentary business before adjourning the house to November 23. Unlike last Thursday and Friday there were no physical altercations on the floor of parliament on Monday. On Friday, lawmakers supporting Rajapaksa threw books, chili paste and water bottles at the speaker to try to disrupt the second vote.
Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya said in a statement that investigations have begun into Friday’s events, including damage that was done to public property in the melee.
The political crisis has hit the economy. On Monday, the rupee fell to a record low of 177.20 per dollar. —