Sri Lanka: Mahinda Rajapaksa loses no-trust vote

A day after the Lankan Supreme Court overturned President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to dissolve the legislature, SL Parliament  on Wednesday voted to remove Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM, saying his appointment last month was illegal.

In a noisy session, attended by diplomats from various nations, including US Ambassador in Sri Lanka Alaina B Teplitz, Rajapaksa and his allies stormed out after attempts to disrupt proceedings failed. 

After the vote, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya ruled that 122 members of the 225-member Parliament supported the motion against Rajapaksa, who was named PM on October 26 after Sirisena abruptly sacked PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

“Honored to attend the reconvening of Sri Lankan Parliament this morning to see democracy in action,” Teplitz said after the meeting. While the vote gives Wickremesinghe a breather, it does not mean he will become the PM as President Sirisena still retains the right to appoint the next premier.