AMN / Colombo
In a dramatic political development in Sri Lanka, Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been sworn in as the Prime Minister of the country. President Maithripala Sirisena administrated oath to Rajapakse a short while ago.
The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) today withdrew from the government, UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera said.
UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe is currently meeting UNP Parliamentarians at Temple Trees to decide the party’s future course of action.
Speaking to media, several Cabinet ministers representing the party have said President Maithripala Sirisena‘s move to appoint Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new Prime Minister is “illegal and unconstitutional”.
“All UNP MPs in and around Colombo who could make it to Temple Trees here now. What the President has done is illegal. What democracy is this Mr. Sirisena?” State Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva tweeted from Temple Trees.
“The appointment of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is unconstitutional, and therefore not legal. This is a breakdown of Democracy the very thing we all fought so hard for,” Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka said.
President Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent party of the UPFA and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s had formed a unity government in August 2015 following the elections.
However, there has been growing tensions between the two sides on several policy matters. President-led UPFA has 23 MPs while rest of 69 support Joint opposition led Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Mr. Sirisena had left SLFP in 2015 Presidential polls to contest against the then President Mahinda Rajapakse and was victorious.