A group of Sri Lanka Freedom Party Parliamentarians have explored the possibility of bringing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa back to the Parliament and position him as the ‘alternate’ Prime Minister.
According to the constitution of Sri Lanka, the person who can draw the support of the majority of Parliamentarians in the house should be appointed as the Prime Minister of the country.
President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday appointed UNP National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister, minutes after taking oaths as the President of Sri Lanka. However, Wickremesinghe has to draw the support of at least 30 more MPs to form a majority in the country’s legislature.
Speaking to his supporters at his ancestral home in Medamulana, former President Rajapaksa said he came to Medamulana for a “holiday” and would continue to represent them in the country’s politics. He also said he had relinquished presidential powers and had handed over the country’s administration to the newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena.
Meanwhile, another school of thought emerging from the ruling party claim that Leader of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva should be positioned as the alternate Prime Minister.
However, when contacted by Asian Mirror, Navin Dissanayake, a key Parliamentarian who played a prominent role in the Common Opposition said, the UNP National Leader would be in a position to draw the support of the majority of Parliamentarians.
Without the support of a majority, President Maithripala Sirisena will have to dissolve Parliament and seek another mandate from the people.
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