COLOMBO – Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday suspended parliament until next month in a shock move amid a deepening power struggle between him and his unity government’s prime minister.
The official statement said that president had halted parliament’s meetings with effect from Thursday midnight under article 70 of the constitution.
The move, which will remain effective until May 8, came hours after at least 16 Sirisena loyalists, including six cabinet ministers said that threatened to leave the troubled coalition.
Relations between the rival groups in the unity government have soured after both suffered losses in February’s local council elections.
In recent weeks, Sirisena has reduced the powers of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, removing from his control the central bank, the policy-making National Operations Room and several other institutions.
Presidential officials declined to comment on the reason for the suspension.
Just hours before he announced the suspension of parliament, Sirisena had appointed acting ministers to the positions of those who quit the Cabinet.
Wickremesinghe last week won a motion of no confidence moved by the joint opposition and backed by Sirisena’s ministers as bickering grew between the two leaders.
Sirisena had demanded Wickremesinghe’s resignation to allow him to appoint a prime minister of his own choice.
