After ousting Ranil Wickremesinghe from his Prime Ministerial post for his party-member Mahinda Rajapaksa, President Sirisena dissolves the Parliament as it comes out that Rajapaksa does not hold majority
Clearing the road for snap election two years before schedule, President Sirisena has dissolved the Parliament. A week ago, he appointed his party-member Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister by ousting RanilWickremesinghe. The newly elected Prime Minister said recently that he needed 113 seats to prove his majority in the Parliament, as the ruling government is a coalition. At the moment, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party has 105-106 seats. Just hours later, the Parliament was dissolved.
In October President Sirisena had justified Rajapaksa’s appointment by stating that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party had the required majority with 113 legislators.
Before the dissolution the European Nation had stated that the crisis had scarred Sri Lanka’s international reputation. This is amid the pressure the United Nations, EU and the USA has put on President Sirisena to reconsider the suspension.
The ousted Ranil Wickremesinghe thanked his supporters in a video message on Facebook, saying: “You have not let this country be plunged into the darkness of dictatorship. For this inspiring effort, I want to thank everyone who has risen to fight for democracy and justice.”
President Sirisena has said that the new Parliament will be convened on January 17 after conducting a nation-wide vote on January 5.