Sri Lanka’s ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as prime minister amid political drama

The abrupt political development surfaced in the wake of President Sirisena’s United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) declaration that it has called off the coalition with former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP). This led to President Sirisena appointing Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister, replacing Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, which follows a semi-presidential mode of government. President Sirisena’s party put an end to the coalition after tensions surfaced between him and Wickremesinghe.

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“The swearing in of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister is “illegal and unconstitutional”, sacked premier Ranil Wickremesinghe was quoted as saying by PTI. “I will continue to be the Prime Minister. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s appointment is unconstitutional,” he added.

Former #SriLanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as new Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/cveo0PuUF7

— Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) October 26, 2018

The coalition government was formed in 2015 when Sirisena was elected as the President with Wickremesinghe’s support, ending an almost a decade-long rule by strongman president Rajapaksa.

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According to political analysts, the installation of Rajapaksa as the country’s Prime Minister could plunge the country into a constitutional crisis owing to the 19th amendment that does not allow the ejection of Wickremesinghe from the Prime Minister’s office without securing a majority vote.

Former Sri Lankan president @PresRajapaksa sworn in as Prime Minister before President Maithripala Sirisena, a development that evolved in the last one or two hours. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/HH9Unq3UXL

— Arun Janardhanan (@arunjei) October 26, 2018

Rajapaksa and Sirisena together have 95 seats and are short of a simple majority. Uprooted Prime Minister Wickremesinghe’s UNP has 106 seats in its individual capacity with seven seats short of the majority mark.