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SRILANKA-POLITICS
Rajapakse rally gathers as Sri Lanka showdown toughens
COLOMBO, Nov 5, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Thousands of supporters of former Sri
Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse headed for the capital on Monday to rally
in support of his controversial nomination as prime minister, as a political
crisis deepened.
The island nation has been gripped by constitutional turmoil since
President Maithripala Sirisena sacked his former ally, prime minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe, on October 26 and appointed Rajapakse in his place.
Busloads of Rajapakse followers were set to arrive from across the country
for the rally planned near parliament in the capital Colombo.
Parliament has been suspended while Rajapakse seeks support for a vote of
confidence by tempting defectors from other parties.
Tens of thousands attended a rally in support of Wickremesinghe last week,
amid warnings from the parliamentary speaker Karu Jayasuriya that the dispute
could end in a “bloodbath” if MPs are barred from holding a vote. In his most
strongly worded statement to date, the speaker warned Monday he would not
recognise Rajapakse as prime minister and that the president had violated the
constitution by sacking Wickremesinghe and suspending parliament.
“Until the new faction (of Rajapakse) is able to prove a majority in
parliament, I will recognise the situation that prevailed prior to October
26,” Jayasuriya said.
Sirisena announced on Sunday that parliament would reconvene on November
14, a week later than he had promised, prolonging the power struggle that has
crippled the country.
The speaker said Sirisena had gone back on previous commitments to recall
parliament this week.
“I have to agree with the majority of parliament who believe that the
president’s actions are undemocratic, unconstitutional and against all norms
of parliamentary procedure,” Jayasuriya said.
While president from 2005 to 2015, Rajapakse ended a 37-year-old Tamil
separatist war but has been accused of human rights violations, nepotism and
corruption.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1411 hrs