Siriseana appointed Rajapaksa as Prime Minister to attract defectors from Wickremesinghe’s camp
Posted on October 27th, 2018
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Colombo, October 27 (newsin.asia): Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to sack Ranil Wickremesinghe from the Premiership on Friday was meant to help his candidate, Mahinda Rajapaksa, get defectors from Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) and the United National Front (UNF) to be able to form a government, political sources say.
Ensconced in power as Prime Minister, Rajapaksa will be able to attract MPs wanting to be part of the government, while out of power Wickremesinghe will find himself handicapped.
On the other hand, if Rajapaksa is not Prime Minister, and Wickemesinghe is, the latter will have the power to attract or retain the loyalty of MPs. This was shown clearly when Prime Minister Wickremesinghe faced a Vote of No Confidence in April 2015 and defeated it.
It was to avoid a repetition of that situation that Sirisena appointed Rajapaksa Prime Minister brazenly, despite the possibility of being accused of acting illegally and unconstitutionally as per the 19 th.Amendment.
Powerful Duo
Rajapaksa’s ability to attract MPs is enhanced also by the fact that he is President Sirisena’s candidate. In combination with Executive President Sirisena, Prime Minister Rajapaksa will be a formidable political force both inside and outside parliament.
The duo are more than a match for Wickremesinghe, who is now out of power and unable to use the levers of power to dispense favors.
Rajapaksa has a vote bank of 95 MPs of the United Peoples’ Progressive Alliance (UPFA). But this group is still smaller than the one with Wickremesinghe, as the latter’s UNF has 106 MPs.
Thus, Rajapaksa needs 18 more MPs to give him a simple majority of 113 in the House of 225 members.
He has to get 18 when he goes in for a vote of confidence in the House. Parliament is now set to meet on November 5 for the budget. But it could meet earlier too.
Rajapaksa already got two UNP MPs on Friday – Vasantha Senanayake and Ananda Aluthgamage. More are expected to defect in the coming days as there is an anti-Wickrmesinghe group in the UNP and UNF.
Additionally, there are Indian Origin Tamil and Muslim parties which have a policy of always being on the side of the government irrespective of the party in power.
Wickremesinghe’s Contention
According to Wickemesinghe, however, what the President did was unconstitutional because as per Art 46 (2) of the 19 th. Amendment of the constitution passed in 2015, the President cannot sack a Prime Minister who enjoys majority support in parliament.
Wickremesinghe asserted that he has majority support in parliament.
He pointed out that as per the 19 th. Amendment, a Prime Minister will go only if he himself resigns or ceases to be a member of parliament. He has neither resigned from the Premiership nor has he ceased to be a member of parliament, Wickremesinghe pointed out.
But this is contested by the President’s men. They point out that Article 42 (4) of the constitution clearly says that the President shall appoint as Prime Minister the Member of Parliament, who, in the President’s opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of Parliament.”
And in Sirisena’s opinion, Wickremesinghe is not likely to command the confidence of parliament and has therefore lost the right to be Prime Minister.
Although Wickremesinghe can go to the Supreme Court challenging the President’s decision on constitutional grounds, he has decided not to because the ultimate proof of his claim will have to be given in terms of actual parliamentary support in a Vote of Confidence.
Wickremesinghe is confident of proving majority support.
Meanwhile, the US and UK have appealed to the powers-that-be in Sri Lanka to act according to the constitution. It is clear that they do not approve of the President’s action.
(The featured image at the top shows President Sirisena appointing Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister)
October 27th, 2018 at 10:35 am
This article does not mention the fact that under Article 42(2), when the CABINET ceases to exist, the PM’s position also ceases to exist.
When the UPFA left the UNITY Govt per Amaraweera’s communication of the withdrawal of the UPFA from the Unity Govt to the Speaker, the CABINET ceased to exist.
As a consequence, the position of PM FELL VACANT, and the President immediately moved, per the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, to fill it with HIS CHOICE of Mahinda Rajapaksa as the leader MOST LIKELY, in HIS ESTIMATE, to COMMAND A MAJORITY in Parliament.
Whether Mahinda Rajapaksa CAN IN FACT COMMAND A PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY will be put to the Test on November 16.
If MR does not, Sirisena may be able to SUSPEND PARLIAMENT and CALL FOR IMMEDIATE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.
Clearly, Sirisena’s move was COORDINATED with the UPFA’s withdrawal from the Unity Govt and Mahinda’s Rajapaksa’s agreement to accept the post of PM.
Ranil Baba, the leader of the BAND of 40 Bank Thieves, an ARCH CONNIVER in his own right, was in this case SIMPLY OUTSMARTED and caught with his PROVERBIAL PANTS DOWN!
As Vasudeva intoned, there is NOTHING ILLEGAL HERE, it is SIMPLY POLITICS AS USUAL!
Funnily enough, it is Ranil-Baba who engineered the 19th Amendment to CONSTRAIN Mahinda Rajapaksa; it has now bitten him back with a vengeance! POETIC JUSTICE … shall we say?
Ranil-Baba has NOW been taught in no uncertain measure that WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND!
BOO HOO Ranil-Baba, your BUTT is SHOWING!
Could not happen to a WORSE PERSON, I say! Ditta, Dhamma, Vedaneeya!
October 27th, 2018 at 10:40 am
BTW, it is EMINENTLY POSSIBLE for MR to DEMONSTRATE the support of 150 (or 2/3) of the MPs when the Parliament resumes sessions on November 16, 2018.
This assumes that at least 25 UNP MPs will join MR to SURVIVE the backlash in the NEXT ELECTIONS, and to gather what perks they can from MR.
October 27th, 2018 at 9:10 pm
Ranil GREEDILY hanging on at Temple Trees will yield him only MORE PAIN & SORROW!
Thanha Jayathi Soko
An alternative to moving him out by FORCE would be to isolate him at Temple Trees COMPLETELY.
Prevent entry of outsiders and deliveries, cut off electricity, water and land phones, jam his cell phones.
ALLOW ONLY people to LEAVE TEMPLE Trees!
His ONLY OPTION will then be to walk out under his own steam! He will NEVER LIVE DOWN the RESULT of his own GREED & FOOLISHNESS!