Sri Lanka ruling coalition candidate wins vote in Parliament
Vote seen as crucial to demonstrate that the government still has majority support
Sri Lanka’s beleaguered government won a key vote in Parliament yesterday as a ruling coalition-backed candidate was elected deputy speaker, despite growing public pressure on the government amid the worst economic crisis in decades.
The vote was seen as crucial to demonstrate that the government still has majority support in the 225-member Parliament after 40 governing coalition lawmakers said last month they would no longer vote according to coalition instructions. It was feared that their move would significantly weaken the government and that it might also lose a majority.
Comfortable victory
Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, who was backed by the ruling coalition led by President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, defeated opposition candidate Imithiyaz Bakeer Marker. Siyambalapitiya received 148 votes and Marker got 65 votes.
Siyambalapitiya previously held the post of deputy speaker before resigning last month when his Sri Lanka Freedom Party defected from the government. But his party has agreed to work with the government to try to resolve the economic situation.
The comfortable victory for Siyambalapitiya comes as the Rajapaksa government faces nationwide protests over its failure to resolve the country’s economic woes.
For several months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy fuel, cooking gas, food and medicine. Shortages of hard currency have also hindered imports of raw materials for manufacturing and worsened inflation, which surged to 18.7 per cent in March.
As oil prices soar during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the island nation’s fuel stocks are running out. Authorities have announced countrywide power cuts extending up to 7 1/2 hours a day because they can’t supply enough fuel to power generating stations.
Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, who was backed by the ruling coalition led by President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, defeated opposition candidate Imithiyaz Bakeer Marker.