Lanka's new PM may lose budget even as he clings to power

Parties to form select body for parliamentary affairs amid crisis

November 20, 2018 00:00:00

COLOMBO, Nov 19 (Reuters): Sri Lanka's newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who lost two motions of no confidence last week, may lose his government's budget even as he clings to power.

Lawmakers opposed to Rajapaksa said they intend to remove funding for staff salaries and other costs in a vote on Nov. 29.

The opposition, which regards his administration as illegitimate, will also seek approval to slash the government's overall budget, they said.

It was the latest of several new twists on Monday in the political chaos that has embroiled Sri Lanka for the past few weeks.

Leaders of political parties backing Rajapaksa and President Maithripala Sirisena refused to allow a third motion of no confidence to be held through name call or electronic voting on Monday.

The previous two motions passed through a voice vote but Sirisena said they hadn't followed the proper procedures. Meanwhile India based NDTV added, political parties in Sri Lanka decided today to form a select committee to conduct parliamentary affairs following amidst a power struggle set off by President Maithripapala Sirisena's controversial decision to remove prime minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe last month.

The decision came a day after an all-party meeting called by President Sirisena to resolve the crisis ended inconclusively.

The House till now has passed two no-confidence motions against Mr Rajapaksa and his government by a voice vote.

The House was convened today morning to conduct a third floor test. Ten minutes later, the House was adjourned till November 23.

When the House was convened, Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri said the party leaders who met in earlier in the day resolved that a select committee would be appointed to conduct the parliamentary business.

The leaders from Mr Wickremesinghe's United National Front, Tamil National Alliance and the JVP or the People's Liberation Front discussed the proposal by President Sirisena made at the all party meeting to have a floor test by name or electronic vote for the third motion of no trust against Mr Rajapaksa.