COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan lawmakers opposed to new Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa took control of parliament’s main committee on Friday after his supporters walked out, saying the house speaker was biased.

Sri Lanka's ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe reacts at the parliament in Colombo, Sri Lanka November 23, 2018. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

Since his surprise appointment last month, Rajapaksa has twice lost confidence votes in parliament to lawmakers backing his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has challenged his ouster as illegal.

Wickremesinghe has refused to vacate the prime minister’s official residence, while Rajapaksa, a former president who won a civil war against Tamil separatists rebels, has moved into the prime minister’s office.

Wickremesinghe loyalists have moved a motion to slash Rajapaksa’s budget on the grounds that his administration was illegitimate. On Friday, they insisted on a vote to approve a 13-member parliamentary committee that would conduct further business of the house.

The Committee on Selection takes key decisions of the house and appoints other committees in the legislature that could determine the fate of the motion to curb Rajapaksa’s office expense.

Lawmakers loyal to Rajapaska said the formation of the committee was illegal and they accused Speaker Karu Jayasuriya of being biased against them.

They walked out of the chamber just as the composition of the committee was put to vote, leaving Wickremesinghe to win by a margin of 121 votes to nil in the 225-member house.

“The speaker is biased and he has disregarded all the parliament conventions,” Wimal Weerawansa, a Rajapaksa loyalist. told the parliament before the group walked out of the chamber.

Udaya Gammanpila, another Rajapaksa loyalist, said their party would refuse to accept Jayasuriya as the speaker.

The political stalemate has dragged on for nearly a month since President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Wickremensinghe and appointed Rajapaksa in his place. Last week, lawmakers supporting Rajapaksa threw books, chili paste and water bottles at the speaker to try to disrupt a confidence vote.

A vote on the motion to remove funding for staff salaries in Rajapaksa’s administration and other costs is set for Nov. 29.</s>Opponents of Rajapaksa win control of panel in Parliament

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Lawmakers opposed to disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa won control of a key committee setting Parliament's agenda during a crucial vote on Friday that dealt a severe blow to his government.

Sri Lanka has been in political crisis since Oct. 26 when the president abruptly fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapaksa. Both claim to be the legitimate officeholder with Wickremesinghe saying he has majority support in Parliament and his firing was invalid.

Last week, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced Sri Lanka had no prime minister or government after Parliament passed a no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa. Both Sirisena and Rajapaksa have refused to accept the results of the no-confidence motion, saying proper procedures were not followed.

When parliament was convened on Friday, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced the members of the Parliament Selection Committee as seven Rajapaksa opponents and five of Rajapaksa's supporters.

Lawmakers supporting Rajapaksa refused to accept the list, arguing that they run the government and therefore should have the majority on the committee according to the parliamentary traditions. Opponents of Rajapaksa said they should control the committee because they have the majority in Parliament and they requested a vote.

Before the vote was taken, Wimal Weerawansa, a lawmaker supporting Rajapaksa, accused Jayasuriya of violating the parliamentary traditions and also being partial to Wickremesinghe. Jayasuriya was elected to parliament from Wickremesinghe's United National Party

"If you don't accept the prime minister and the cabinet of ministers, we also don't accept you as the speaker of this parliament," Weerawansa said, before walking out with others supporting Rajapaksa.

Thereafter, a vote was taken by name through the electronic voting system and the opposition secured the control of the committee with 121 voting for and none against.

The results also showed that Rajapaksa does not hold the majority of the 225-member parliament, which is a setback for his loyalists who had claimed they did.

Friday's vote was very peaceful compared to previous two votes which were taken amid severe disturbances. Parliament turned violent when the no-confidence motions were taken up last week, with rival lawmakers exchanging blows while lawmakers supporting Rajapaksa threw books, chairs and chili powder mixed with water to try to block the proceedings. Jayasuriya resorted to vote by voice last week.

Rajapaksa rejected to accept the results of the voice vote, saying such an important vote should not have been done by voice. He also insisted the speaker had no authority to remove him and said he is continuing to work as prime minister. Lawmakers opposed to Rajapaksa have said his government is illegal.

Jehan Perera, head of the local analyst group National Peace Council, previously said that the government appointed by the president can't be called legal because Sirisena had not sought a parliamentary vote when he dismissed Wickremesinghe.

Rajapaksa is considered a hero by some in the ethnic Sinhalese majority for ending a long civil war by crushing ethnic Tamil Tiger rebels. However, his time in power was marred by allegations of wartime atrocities, corruption and nepotism.

Tensions had been building between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe for some time, as the president did not approve of economic reforms introduced by the prime minister. Sirisena has also accused Wickremesinghe and another Cabinet member of plotting to assassinate him, a charge Wickremesinghe has repeatedly denied.</s>Opponents of Rajapaksa win control of panel in Parliament

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Opponents of disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have won control of a powerful panel in Sri Lanka's Parliament in a key vote that deals a severe blow to his government.

Sri Lanka has been in political crisis since late October when the president abruptly fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapaksa. Parliament rejected Rajapaksa in a no-confidence motion last week, but he called the vote improper, and now both men claim to be the legitimate officeholder.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced Friday the members of the powerful committee that sets Parliament's agenda. Seven of the 12 members are opponents of Rajapaksa while his supporters have five slots.

Before the vote, a Rajapaksa supporter accused Jayasuriya of violating parliamentary traditions and being partial to Wickremesinghe. Jayasuriya was elected from Wickremesinghe's party.</s>Rajapaksa rejected the results of the voice vote, saying important issues should not be decided by voice. He also insisted the speaker had no authority to remove him and said he is continuing to work as prime minister. Lawmakers opposed to Rajapaksa have said his government is illegal.</s>Sri Lanka has been in political crisis since late October when the president abruptly fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapaksa. Parliament rejected Rajapaksa in a no-confidence motion last week, but he called the vote improper, and now both men claim to be the legitimate officeholder.</s>COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — As Sri Lanka’s president met with opposition lawmakers over a no-confidence vote against his newly appointed prime minister, thousands rallied in support of the prime minister he ousted, burning coffins representing what they called the death of democracy in the Indian Ocean nation.

Earlier Thursday, rival lawmakers exchanged blows in Sri Lanka’s Parliament after disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed the speaker had no authority to remove him from office by a voice vote. That happened Wednesday when lawmakers convened for the first time since a political crisis began Oct. 26 with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s ouster.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya told the chamber that the country had no government and there was no prime minister.

Rajapaksa disagreed, saying “a vote should have been taken. Such important motions should not be passed by a voice vote.” He accused the speaker of partiality toward his party, the United National Party, led by Wickremesinghe.

Rajapaksa also repeated his call for new elections, suggesting that it was the best way to resolve the crisis.

The brawl erupted after the opposition asked for a vote on Rajapaksa’s statement, with some lawmakers supporting him gathering in the middle of the house while others rushed Jayasuriya, tussling for his microphone.

Rajapaksa ally Dilum Amunugama was taken to a hospital with injuries to his hand incurred while trying to take the microphone from the speaker’s table.

Several dozen lawmakers in white robes in the 225-member house engaged in the melee, some throwing water bottles, pitching trash cans and landing kicks. Those opposed to Rajapaksa surrounded Jayasuriya to protect him. The commotion went on for about half an hour before Jayasuriya adjourned the house.

“The speaker was under complete siege, he came very close to being physically assaulted by MPs supporting Rajapaksa,” said Chandani Kirinde, a senior correspondent of the Sunday Times, a weekly paper in Sri Lanka. “While clashes have happened in the house, this is probably the first time the speaker came under so much intimidation and abuse.”

Similarly on Wednesday, Jayasuriya took a voice vote on the no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa after the chamber descended into chaos.

Hours after the parliamentary clashes, President Maithripala Sirisena held an emergency meeting with the leaders of the opposition parties that voted for the no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa.

Sirisena asked that Parliament take up the no-confidence motion again, striking the part that decried Wickremesinghe’s ouster and Rajapaksa’s appointment as unconstitutional and allow it to be debated and a roll call vote to be taken.

Sri Lanka has been in crisis since Oct. 26, when Sirisena suddenly fired Wickremesinghe and replaced him with Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa, a former president, is considered a hero by some in the ethnic Sinhalese majority for ending a long civil war by crushing ethnic Tamil Tiger rebels. However, his time in power was marred by allegations of wartime atrocities, corruption and nepotism.

Tensions had been building between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe for some time, as the president did not approve of economic reforms introduced by the prime minister. Sirisena has also accused Wickremesinghe and another Cabinet member of plotting to assassinate him, a charge Wickremesinghe has repeatedly denied.

Sirisena also had suspended Parliament, apparently to allow Rajapaksa time to gather support among lawmakers. But Wickremesinghe insisted his firing was unconstitutional. He refused to vacate his official residence and demanded that Parliament be summoned to prove he still has support.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended Sirisena’s order to dissolve Parliament and hold new elections next month.

The political turmoil in Sri Lanka has drawn statements of concern from Western governments since Sirisena ousted Wickremesinghe. The United States said Thursday that it was closely following developments and urged all parties “to adhere to the rule of law.”

“There is much at stake, and a prolonged crisis will jeopardize Sri Lanka’s democracy, economic progress and international reputation,” the State Department said.

Associated Press writer Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.</s>COLOMBO: Ousted Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe's alliance on Friday won control of a powerful panel in Parliament, dealing a major blow to President Maithripala Sirisena and his prime ministerial appointee Mahinda Rajapaksa . Sirisena's party members walked out of Parliament, which resumed its session on Friday after being adjourned on Monday, protesting against Speaker Karu Jayasuriya 's move to appoint five members of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) which is led by the President.The Speaker named five members from the United National Front (UNF) of Wickeremesinghe, and one each from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).This is in continuation of the political unrest plaguing the country since October 26.Both Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa claim to be the prime ministers. Wickremesinghe says his dismissal is invalid because he still holds a majority in the 225-member Parliament.Jayasuriya, at the start of the session, announced that following a meeting of all party leaders which ended without an agreement over the composition of the committee, he had decided to grant five members each to the UPFA and the UNF.The committee would comprise 12 members, he said.Senior UPFA member Dinesh Gunawardena slammed the speaker's conduct as biased."I urge you to recognise us as the government and give us the majority in the select committee."We have precedents that even during the minority governments in the past the government had been given majority in the select committee," he said.Lakshman Kiriella on behalf of the ousted government said that Jayasuriya has declared the members based on two previous votes that there was no government and the purported government does not exist.Wimal Weerawansa, another Sirisena backer, said that if Jayasuriya was not recognising the government, they would not recognise Jayasuriya as the Speaker."We will leave the chamber allowing you to conduct a meeting of the United National Party," Weerawansa said and led Sirisena's side out of the chamber.Jayasuriya then proceeded to take a vote on his decision on the select committee composition after a vote was moved by JVP's Vijitha Herath.The proposal was adopted with 121 votes for and nothing against. The members of the UNF, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the Tamil National Alliance voted in favour.Sri Lanka is witnessing a political crisis since President Sirisena abruptly sacked Wickremesinghe on October 26.Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered snap election. The Supreme Court overturned Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls.Speaker Jayasuriya then ordered a floor test in the 225-member assembly to end the ongoing political crisis, a move which invited the wrath of the government of Rajapaksa.The UNF has already moved two motions of no trust against Rajapaksa and they are to move a third vote again, perhaps Friday. Rajapaksa, however, has refused to step down.On Wednesday, Wickremesinghe's party handed Parliament another motion, demanding suspension of funds of all ministry secretaries whom they claim had been illegally appointed since October 26.</s>Supporters of Rajapaksa walk out of Sri Lankan Parliament

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Lawmakers supporting disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have walked out of Sri Lanka's Parliament to protest the speaker's actions during an ongoing political crisis.

On Oct. 26, President Maithripala Sirisena abruptly fired Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed Rajapaksa to the position. Wickremesinghe has said he still has the support of a majority in Parliament.

Last week, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced Sri Lanka had no prime minister or government after Parliament passed a no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa. He has refused to accept the results of the no-confidence motion, saying proper procedures were not followed.

Wimal Weerawansa, a lawmaker supporting Rajapaksa, accused Jayasuriya of being partial to Wickremesinghe. Jayasuriya was elected to parliament from Wickremesinghe's United National Party.</s>Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena’s opponents won control of a key parliamentary Select Committee on Friday, , adaderana.lk reported. Last week, all political parties had agreed to form the committee and give it the power to handle parliamentary affairs till the current political crisis in the country is resolved.

The panel’s composition was approved by 121 legislators in the 235-seat Parliament. However, parliamentarians belonging to Sirisena’s United People’s Freedom Alliance party walked out after Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced the result, protesting against the allocation of seats in the committee, PTI reported.

Jayasuriya had named five members from the United People’s Freedom Alliance, five from the United National Front of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe, and one each from the Tamil National Alliance and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.

Before polling began, Jayasuriya announced the proposed composition of the panel, saying it was necessary because an all-party meeting Sirisena called last week had yielded no agreement. However, Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena claimed that the ruling alliance should be allocated majority of the seats.

Last month, Sirisena ousted Wickremesinghe as prime minister and replaced him with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The president also suspended Parliament till November 16 to prevent a vote from being held. Though Sirisena later lifted the suspension and said the Parliament would reconvene on November 14, he dissolved it again and called snap elections.

On November 11, the Sri Lankan Supreme Court issued a stay order against the dissolution. Subsequently, Rajapaksa’s government lost two trust motions in Parliament.</s>COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s Parliament passed a no-confidence vote against the government headed by the hastily sworn-in and bitterly disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, as lawmakers convened Wednesday for the first time since the president dismissed his Cabinet and suspended the legislature last month.

The motion brought by the head of an opposition party could mean that Rajapaksa will have to resign his post but does not necessarily mean the leader whose ousting set off the crisis will be reinstated, creating a power vacuum in the South Asian island nation.

“Rajapaksa’s government will fall,” said Paikiasothy Sarvanamuttu, executive director of the Colombo-based nonpartisan Centre for Policy Alternatives civil society group, and among the petitioners who challenged the constitutionality of President Maithripala Sirisena’s recent actions.

Sarvanamuttu said the no-confidence vote leaves Sirisena with two options — either to reinstate Ranil Wickremesinghe, whom he replaced with Rajapaksa on Oct. 26, as prime minister, or await the decision of the Supreme Court, which is due to issue a ruling on the ouster and subsequent government appointments on Dec. 7.

Lawmakers supporting Wickremesinghe had a visible majority in the chamber on Wednesday, with many wearing shawls emblazoned with the words “For democracy.”

As Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya prepared to let the no-confidence motion be debated, the chamber descended into chaos, with lawmakers supporting Rajapaksa filing into the center of the room shouting political slogans and accusing Jayasuriya of betraying the people’s mandate.

Jayasuriya then said he had no choice but to bypass the debate and take an oral vote, with those in favor clearly voicing more support for the motion than those against it.

Before the results were announced, Rajapaksa walked out of the chamber.

After it became clear last week that Rajapaksa would not survive a no-confidence motion, Sirisena dissolved Parliament, but the Supreme Court on Tuesday had ordered the legislature to keep working until next month.

Namal Rajapaksa, a lawmaker in his father’s United People Freedom Alliance party, told The Associated Press that they “don’t accept this verdict” and will continue as the government.

Parliament adjourned after the vote and is to reconvene Thursday morning.

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended Sirisena’s order to dissolve Parliament and hold new elections.

Wickremesinghe, who has been holed up at the prime minister’s official residence in Colombo since his ouster, said at a news conference after the vote that he and his supporters “have proved that there is a purported administration which does not enjoy the support of Parliament. And therefore it’s illegal.”

He said that police and civil servants should cease carrying out orders from the Rajapaksa-led government.

Late Tuesday, Sirisena held a meeting of the Security Council, including the military commander, police chief and defense secretary. Sirisena instructed authorities to maintain peace in the country, according to a statement released by the president’s media team.

Associated Press writer Emily Schmall in New Delhi contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
Lawmakers opposed to Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister win a vote for control of a new 13-member parliamentary main committee.