President of Sri Lanka dissolves parliament and calls snap election
▶ Country’s main political party is to launch a challenge in the courts against the decision
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has dissolved parliament and called a snap election in a move that the country’s biggest party said it would challenge in the courts next week.
Mr Sirisena’s decision has plunged the South Asian island into further political turmoil two weeks after he sacked incumbent prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former president and populist Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Parliament was set to convene on Wednesday to vote on who was the country’s legitimate premier but Mr Sirisena has called an election for January 5, possibly leaving Mr Rajapaksa as Sri Lanka’s caretaker prime minister until then.
The move was widely criticised by politicians who represent a majority in the 225seat parliament. They have called Mr Sirisena’s move unconstitutional.
Susil Premajayantha, a member of Mr Rajapaksa’s party, said the president had called the snap election to end the political crisis and put the choice to the Sri Lankan people.
“Now we have a caretaker government with limited functions,” Mr Premajayantha said. “We will conduct a free and fair election.”
But Mr Wickremesinghe’s United National Party said it would challenge the decision at the Supreme Court.
“We will fight in the courts, we will fight in parliament and we will fight at the polls,” said Mangala Samaraweera, the finance minister in the ousted leader’s cabinet.
Mr Wickremesinghe has not moved from the official residence of the premier, known as Temple Trees, surrounded by thousands of his supporters who say they are there to stop him being removed.
Mr Sirisena’s decision came after it became clear that his choice for prime minister would not gather enough votes for a majority in parliament.
His suspension of parliament delays a vote on the prime minister has been tainted by accusations of vote-buying.
One politician from Mr Wickremesinghe’s party said he was offered $2.8 million (Dh 10.2m) and a ministerial position if he joined Mr Rajapaksa’s side.
To consolidate his position and his decision, Mr Sirisena has taken control of state media outlets and appointed ministers to his side. They will have access to state resources ahead of the election.
Mr Rajapaksa, who served as president from 2005 to 2015 and ended the civil war with the Tamil Tigers through a bloody offensive, has not given a public address about his nomination as prime minister. But he reacted to Mr Sirisena’s decision yesterday.
“A general election will truly establish the will of the people and make way for a stable country,” he wrote on Twitter.
Most of the international community has criticised Mr Sirisena’s moves as unconstitutional. Washington was quick to protest against his sacking of parliament.
“The US is deeply concerned by news the Sri Lankan Parliament will be dissolved, further deepening the political crisis,” the State Department said.
“As a committed partner of Sri Lanka, we believe democratic institutions and processes need to be respected to ensure stability and prosperity.”
The country is likely to remain paralysed for the next two months if Mr Sirisena’s plans go ahead, with two parallel governments operating almost side by side in Colombo, the country’s capital.
Unless toppled, Mr Rajapaksa will remain as caretaker prime minister until a new parliament is convened on January 17, after the election.
Mr Sirisena’s decision came after it became clear that his choice for PM would not win a majority in parliament