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AFP
Mr Wickremesinghe refused to leave office
Sri Lankan Prime Minister "sacked," Ranil Wickremesinghe, told the BBC that he had the support of Parliament, while the island nation is facing an unprecedented constitutional crisis.
Last week, the president sacked Wickremesinghe and his cabinet and suspended parliament, appointing former chief Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister.
But Mr Wickremesinghe refuses to leave office, saying the move is illegal.
The crisis has already triggered demonstrations and deadly violence.
"I remain Prime Minister and I have the confidence of the majority of the members of this assembly," Wickremesinghe told the BBC from his official residence, Temple Trees, a grandiose bungalow from the colonial era and white, which has become a symbol of political power in Sri Lanka.
"The constitution stipulates that the president must appoint the prime minister as the person who has the confidence of Parliament and that I am the person who has it.We called for the convocation of Parliament so that I can prove my majority in the House", a- he declared.
Yogita Limaye of the BBC has maintained with Mr. Wickremesinghe of Temple Trees
Mr. Wickremesinghe's party has called for the next meeting and Mr. Rajapaksa has suggested that this could happen early next week. No date has yet been confirmed.
It's an extraordinary situation for a country that has experienced decades of brutal civil war and now has two people claiming to lead the government.
How did we come here?
The two men in question, MM. Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa have spent many years at the antipodes of the Sri Lankan political landscape. But the king-maker at the center of the debacle is Sri Lanka's current president, Maithripala Sirisena.
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President Maithripala Sirisena had already been a member of Mr. Rajapaksa's government
To fully understand the magnitude of the President's political shift, we must go back to 2015, when Mr. Sirisena appointed Mr. Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister and leader of the coalition government that came to power after the elections of this year. year.
This itself was perceived as a staggering gesture, since Mr. Sirisena was originally a member of Mr. Rajapaksa's government, but then left to run against him and overthrow him in an election. presidential.
Today, after three years in a fragile coalition, Sirisena-Wickremesing relations have gone awry and the president has revived Rajapaksa's political fortune by appointing him prime minister.
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EPA
The supporters of Mr. Wickremesinghe gathered in front of the official residence that he refuses to leave
Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe's supporters have been gathering at Temple Trees since the day he was fired. Near the doors, Buddhist monks were called to sing prayers.
The aides suggest that it is a means of preventing any use of force to dismiss the deposed prime minister.
In another part of Colombo, Mr. Rajapaksa began his work. The Prime Minister's official website has been updated to display his photo and profile.
Posters congratulating him have appeared in the streets of Colombo.
Mr. Rajapaksa has so far refused the interview requests. In a statement issued earlier this week, he explained his position.
"I was aware that in this moment of national peril, the people were waiting for our leadership and our protection," he said. "I have therefore accepted the invitation that has been made by the President to assume the duties of Prime Minister".
The former president is a popular but controversial figure who ended the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009, but has been criticized for his ways to win. Thousands of Tamil civilians were reportedly killed by government forces in the final months of the fighting. .
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In his speech to the nation, President Sirisena said: "I categorically affirm that the appointments were made in full compliance with the constitution and on the advice of legal experts. that I bring you, I completely reject the accusation that what was done was a violation of the Constitution. "
What is surprising to many observers is that Mr Sirisena and Mr Wickremesinghe campaigned in 2015 for a platform to abolish Mr Rajapaksa's all-powerful "executive presidency" in Sri Lanka.
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Buddhika Weerasinghe
Mahinda Rajapaksa is listed on the official website of the Prime Minister
A few months after winning the elections, they amended the constitution, reducing the president's powers.
So, can the president dismiss the prime minister?
According to Nihal Jayawickrama, legal expert, no provision of the constitution would allow the president to dismiss the prime minister.
"There was a time when he could do it, but very important changes were made to the constitution in 2015 when 90% of the executive powers of the president were withdrawn." And one of the powers that was removed was that of eliminating the minister's power, "he said.
"Everyone is confused President Sirisena was supposed to lead the change [of government in Sri Lanka]. He provided it. But for some reason, he backed down. "
I asked Mr. Wickremesinghe if he felt like he had been stabbed.
"This is to be expected in politics," he says with a smile. "If necessary, there will be more demonstrations.The public opinion does not accept the actions of the president.
"This type of crisis is really a big problem for the people, a lack of self-confidence, look, you have promised to restore democracy, you have made so many steps and, in the main question, you do not take into account powers of Parliament. "
The episode marks a dangerous trend for a country that voted for change in 2015. Many Sri Lankans do not support either side, but simply want the democratic process to be followed.
