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Wickremesinghe, who stated that his dismissal in shock was illegal on Friday, ignored the time limit for leaving the residence of the colonial era, even as his controversial successor had asked for the blessing of his family. a temple before appointing a new cabinet.
Officials said the police would now apply for a court order to expel 69-year-old Wickremesinghe, threatening to escalate the stalemate as neighbors and Western countries urged all parties to demonstrate of restraint and to respect the constitution.
About a thousand of his followers gathered in front of the Temple Trees residence, their troops were seen nearby, but there was nothing to suggest intervention in the conflict.
Wickremesinghe's official and security cars were withdrawn on Saturday by President Maithripala Sirisena, the deposed Prime Minister having demanded an emergency sitting in order to prove that he still had a majority in parliament.
Instead, Sirisena closed the parliament for nearly three weeks to prevent any challenge to her appointment to the appointment of former strongman Mahinda Rajapakse as prime minister.
Rajapakse's loyalists, whose ten-year-old government is marked by serious accusations of rights violations and growing authoritarianism, still control the headquarters of two public television channels.
All police departures were canceled due to escalating tensions in Colombo. Soldiers were seen near the prime minister's residence and the president's office.
Rajapakse, meanwhile, went to a highly revered Buddhist temple in Kandy Central District to seek the blessings of the monks before appointing a cabinet.
Rajapakse's badistants stated that he was about to appoint a few ministers later on Sunday and start work on Monday.
He has not yet made an official statement or addressed a speech to the nation since his election to a new position.
The former strongman is a controversial figure at home and abroad and has presided over the crushing of a Tamil tiger uprising that has lasted for several decades.
He is considered closer to China than Wickremesinghe, who sought to re-establish closer ties with the traditional ally and regional power, India.
The crisis once again put the Indian Ocean in the spotlight of the neighboring Maltese turmoil after the presidential election.
India said that she "followed closely" the events in Colombo.
"As a democracy and friendly neighbor, we hope that democratic values and the constitutional process will be respected," Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said Sunday.
The ambbadadors of the United States and the European Union in Colombo called on Sri Lankan rivals to abide by the constitution and avoid violence.
The Chinese ambbadador to Colombo met separately with Rajapakse and Wickremesinghe on Saturday, officials said.
Western diplomats based in Colombo met Wickremesinghe for a sacking briefing.
Due to the suspension of Parliament, President Karu Jayasuriya, from Wickremesinghe's party, has trouble announcing which of his two rivals he recognizes.
Many observers are now waiting for the crisis to turn into a series of legal battles.
Private newspapers on Sunday described Sirisena's move as a "constitutional coup".
Political commentator Victor Ivan said that Sirisena's action constituted a flagrant violation of the constitution and "a seizure of power by a conspiracy".
However, Rajapakse's loyalist and former foreign minister, GL Peiris, claims that there is nothing illegal in the dismissal of Wickremesinghe and challenges him to prove his majority when Parliament returns on 16 November.
The quarrel between Wickremesinghe and Sirisena has grown since the president approved this year a motion of censure against the man he had chosen to head the government.
The two allies against Rajapakse in the 2015 election, but their relationship is gradually deteriorating.
Sirisena first announced that he would be a president with a warrant, but has since indicated that he would be running next year, running in opposite fashion to Wickremesinghe, who also has presidential ambitions.
Wickremesinghe's party holds the largest number of seats in Parliament, but the Unified People's Alliance for Freedom of the President left the coalition shortly before the dismissal of Wickremesinghe.
This is the second time that a president dismissed Wickremesinghe from office. In 2004, the president of the time dismissed him and called for early elections.
After winning the post of prime minister a third time in August 2015, Wickremesinghe amended the constitution in order to remove the power of the head of state to sack prime ministers in order to prevent the repetition of his previous eviction.
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