Sri Lanka president seeks fresh no-confidence motion against new PM

Reuters

15 November 2018 at 12:41 pm

FILE PHOTO: Sri Lanka's newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Maithripala Sirisena talk during a rally near the parliament in Colombo, Sri Lanka November 5, 2018. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte/File Photo

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's president on Thursday urged the speaker of parliament and some political parties to seek a fresh no-confidence motion against a prime minister he appointed last month, creating political instability in the south Asian country.

Parliament on Wednesday passed a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government with the backing of 122 of the 225 lawmakers in a voice vote, followed by a signed document.

President Maithripala Sirisena has rejected the view of parliament that Rajapaksa's appointment was unconstitutional. Sirisena has called for a new motion on Friday.

"The president informed them to show their majority in parliament in a proper way following parliamentary procedure and agreed to act according to the constitution," Sirisena's media team said in a statement.

(Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Krishna N. Das)

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