Sirisena reduces Ranil’s duties as power struggle worsens

Mr. Sirisena has blamed the Premier for their recent electoral setbacks.

March 28, 2018 09:14 pm | Updated 09:29 pm IST - Colombo

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Wednesday reduced the responsibilities of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as a power struggle worsened within their uneasy coalition.

Mr. Sirisena took away the Central Bank, the policymaking National Operations Room and several other institutions from the control of Mr. Wickremesinghe, who had held them since coming to power in January 2015.

The changes were published in a government gazette notice issued on Wednesday which transferred the responsibilities to Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

Mr. Sirisena has blamed the Premier for their recent electoral setbacks.

Earlier this year, he publicly lambasted Mr. Wickremesinghe and his United National Party (UNP), saying that they had mismanaged the economy. A section within Mr. Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) supports a no-confidence move against Mr. Wickremesinghe slated for April 4. However, the UNP is the single-largest party in the 225-member assembly and commands a comfortable majority with the help of allies.

Tensions between the coalition partners have also escalated over Mr. Sirisena’s attempts to extend his presidential term by one more year till 2021, a move that was rejected by the Supreme Court earlier this year.

The UNP has suggested that it may go it alone at the next general election to be held in 2020.

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