Wickremesinghe says he is still PM of Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa’s appointment ‘unconstitutional’

Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the appointment of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister by President Maithripala Sirisena is “unconstitutional”.

"I am still the Prime Minister of this country," he said in a statement on Friday.

According to the Article 42 (4) of Sri Lanka Constitution, the president "shall appoint as prime minister the Member of Parliament, who, in the president's opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of parliament”.

Article 46 (2) says the prime minister shall continue to hold office throughout the period during which the Cabinet of Ministers continues to function under the provisions of the Constitution unless he -

(a) resigns his office by a writing under his hand addressed to the president; or-

(b) ceases to be a Member of Parliament.

Wickremesinghe said he will show majority in parliament soon.

Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera also says the appointment of Rajapaksa as the prime minister is “unconstitutional and illegal”.

"This is an anti-democratic coup," he said in a Twitter post.

However, as stated earlier, the president has the power to appoint any member of parliament who, in his view, enjoys majority support in parliament.

But the appointment has to be confirmed in a floor test on a vote of confidence.

When Sirisena appointed Wickremesinghe as prime minister in January 2015, the latter had only 41 MPs in his favour the parliament. He later proved his majority by garnering other MPs.

The number of MPs with Sirisena and Rajapaksa is now 95. The duo need 18 more MPs to cross the halfway mark of 113 in the House of 225.

It is said that the chances of getting 18 MPs are bright as seven MPs from Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) and some others from the Muslim and Indian Tamil parties might lend him support.