Sri Lanka’s ‘Joint Opposition’, a parliamentary block supporting former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Wednesday submitted a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
As many as 55 legislators signed the motion, including four members in the government, from the President Maithripala Sirisena-led faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). The other faction is aligned to Mr. Rajapaksa. The dissenting legislators handed over the motion to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, a senior member of PM Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP).
Mr. Jayasuriya’s name has in the past figured in discussions on a new Prime Ministerial candidate. According to political sources, the Speaker is likely to consult party leaders and schedule a parliamentary debate and a vote on the motion in the near future.
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Ministers and lawmakers from the UNP have vowed to stay united in order to defeat motion in Parliament.
The development comes less than two months after the two main parties in the ruling alliance — the SLFP and UNP — suffered a huge blow in the local government polls that they contested separately. A new party backed by Rajapaksa emerged victorious in most local councils.
The election drubbing weakened the alliance, with the two parties blaming each other for the defeat, and some in Mr. Sirisena’s party threatening to quit the government if the Prime Minister does not resign. It was later averted with MPs in both parties agreeing on a cabinet reshuffle.
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Last week, Mr. Rajapaksa told Colombo-based foreign correspondents about tabling a no-confidence motion against the PM, accusing of him of causing a deterioration in the country’s economy. However, Mr. Rajapaksa himself has not signed the motion, local reports said.