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Sri Lanka’s ousted PM says time running out to avert ‘bloodbath’
COLOMBO, Nov 3, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Sri Lanka’s sacked prime minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe has warned time is running out to avert a “bloodbath” while
voicing hope that parliament will resolve a damaging constitutional crisis in
the coming days.
Wickremesinghe, who has been holed up at the prime minister’s official
residence for more than a week as thousands of supporters gather outside,
told AFP in an interview that “desperate people” could cause chaos on the
Indian Ocean island.
The 69-year-old was sacked out-of-the-blue on October 26 by President
Maithripala Sirisena, with domineering former president Mahinda Rajapakse
named in his place.
However Wickremesinghe refused to accept his dismissal and has not left the
sprawling colonial-era Temple Trees residence — where Buddhist monks now
chant prayers outside — since.
Sirisena also suspended parliament in an apparent bid to prevent opposition
to his move, deepening the turmoil that has seen at least one man killed in a
shooting last weekend linked to the power struggle.
“We will be calling on our people not to resort to violence,”
Wickremesinghe said late Friday. “But you don’t know what arises in a
situation like this.
“A few desperate people can start off a bloodbath.”
His comments echoed the fears of parliament speaker Karu Jayasuriya who
warned of bloodshed on the streets if a vote is not held by lawmakers to
decide between the two leaders.
Wickremesinghe, head of the United National Party, already the biggest
group in parliament, has also called for such a vote and is trying to rally
allies to the cause.
But stopping parliament from meeting has given Rajapakse — still popular
despite his strongarm tactics to end the country’s Tamil civil war and
corruption allegations — more time to try to win support.
Wickremesinghe said he hoped the showdown could be ended peacefully and
expressed optimism that a solution to the crisis would soon be found.
“I feel parliament is going to prevail finally. This can’t take too long. I
would say in a week to 10 days at the most,” he said, adding the priority was
to establish parliament’s “supremacy”.
MORE/SSS/0959 hrs
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Wickremesinghe said two smaller parties — the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi
Peramuna and the Tamil National Alliance — were backing his call for the
legislature to meet despite obstacles placed by Sirisena.
The two parties signed a petition to the parliament speaker on Friday
demanding the reconvening of the 225-member assembly on November 7.
“A majority of parliament has said all these actions (of the president) are
not legitimate and not in accordance with the constitution,” said
Wickremesinghe.
According to the latest counts, Wickremesinghe has 103 MPs while Rajapakse
and Sirisena together have 100. Most of the 22 remaining MPs are expected to
back Wickremesinghe, observers said.
– Street battles feared –
A majority of legislators want Sirisena to end the suspension of parliament
by Wednesday and any delay is “against the wishes of all the parties”,
according to the embattled Wickremesinghe.
Apart from political pressure on Sirisena, civil society groups are also
stepping up agitation to ensure the constitution is respected, Wickremesinghe
said.
After sacking his prime minister, Sirisena addressed the nation and
lambasted Wickremesinghe, saying they could not work together because of
serious personal and cultural differences.
A divorce of their coalition was inevitable after just over three years,
Sirisena said. Wickremesinghe had expected a confrontation but not the sack.
“We knew there would be problems by somewhere in November, but it came a
bit sooner than I thought,” he added.
Sirisena accused Wickremesinghe, a trained lawyer who favours a liberal
economy, of being dictatorial and ignoring the president in cabinet.
Wickremesinghe hit back saying their personal rivalry was not an excuse for
a constitutional war.
“The constitution doesn’t make provisions for personality clashes,” he
said. “In cabinet there are people you like and you may not like.”
Wickremesinghe is from an elitist family with an urban upbringing, poles
apart from Sirisena who is from a modest rural farming family.
They made common cause to end Rajapakse’s decade in power in a 2015
presidential election but have drifted apart since over economic policy and
day-to-day decisions.
Sirisena has also accused Wickremesinghe of being an autocratic leader of
the UNP.
“He is not a member of the UNP,” Wickremesinghe hit back. “He can say
whatever he wants.”
BSS/AFP/SSS/1000 hrs