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Supporters of Sri Lankan Prime Minister sacked, Ranil Wickeremesing, gather outside his official residence while a police commando stands guard in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, October 28, 2018. President of Sri Lanka Suspended Parliament While the Prime Minister that he had fired had declared sacked He enjoys majority support, which adds to the growing political crisis in this insular country of Asia from South. lessSupporters of sacked Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickeremesing, gather outside his official residence while a police commando stands guard in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, October 28, 2018. The … more
Photo: Eranga Jayawardena, AP
Photo: Eranga Jayawardena, AP
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) – Latest news on the political crisis in Sri Lanka (all times):
6:50 p.m.
The President of Sri Lanka said that the main reason he had decided to sack his prime minister was the alleged involvement of a cabinet minister in a plot to assassinate him.
In a televised speech Sunday to the nation, President Maithripala Sirisena said that a person interviewed by investigators had revealed the name of a minister in an alleged plot of murder and a former Secretary of Defense.
He said that the only choice left in these circumstances was to sack Ranil Wickremesinghe and invite his former enemy and ex-strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa to take over as Prime Minister and form a new government.
Wickremesinghe said Sirisena's decision Friday was unconstitutional and said he could prove his support for the majority in Parliament.
Sirisena suspended Parliament until 16 November.
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4:40 p.m.
The president of the Sri Lankan Parliament has asked the country's president to protect the rights of the sacked prime minister in a context of growing political crisis in this island country of South Asia.
President Karu Jayasuriya said Sunday in a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena that the suspension of Parliament would have "serious and undesirable consequences".
Sirisena on Friday dismissed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his cabinet and replaced him with former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa. Wickremesinghe claimed that he could prove his majority support in Parliament.
On Saturday, Sirisena suspended Parliament apparently to give Rajapaksa time to gather enough support to survive any vote of no confidence.
