Sajith-led opposition declares no confidence in govt

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s main opposition party has issued a no-confidence declaration aiming at ousting Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Cabinet and blaming them of failing in their constitutional duty to provide a decent living standards, according to The Associated Press.

A group from United People’s Force party, led by leader Sajith Premadasa, delivered the motion demanding the no-confident parliamentary vote to Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

The move came amid countrywide protests demanding the resignation of Rajapaksa and his younger brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who the demonstrators hold responsible for the economic crisis.

A majority vote in the 225-member Parliament would be needed to remove Rajapaksa and the Cabinet from power.

The United People’s Force can only count on 54 votes but hopes to win votes from smaller opposition parties and defections from the ruling Sri Lanka People’s Front party.

The ruling party had nearly 150 votes but that strength has declined amid the economic crisis and defections in a no-confidence vote are possible.

A decision on when to hold the no-confidence vote is expected to happen after MPs start meeting on Wednesday.

The United People’s Force also delivered a no-confidence motion targeting the president but it would not force him to leave office even a majority of lawmakers vote against him.

The United People’s Force’s motion also accuses top government officials of excessively printing money, hurting agricultural production by banning chemical fertilizer to make the production fully organic, failing to order COVID-19 vaccines in a timely manner and buying them later at higher prices.

Protesters on Tuesday were in their 25th day of their occupation of the entrance to the president’s office, demanding the resignations of Rajapaksa family members who have ruled Sri Lanka for the last two decades.