Sri Lanka’s main opposition party on Tuesday issued a no-confidencedeclaration aiming at ousting Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and hisCabinet and blaming them of failing in their constitutional duty to providea decent living standard amid the island nation’s worst economic crisis inmemory.
A group from United People’s Force party, led by leader Sajith Premadasa,delivered the motion demanding the no-confident parliamentary vote toParliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
The move came amid countrywide protests demanding the resignation ofRajapaksa and his younger brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who thedemonstrators hold responsible for the economic crisis.
A majority vote in the 225-member parliament would be needed to removeRajapaksa and the cabinet from power. The United People’s Force can onlycount on 54 votes but hopes to win votes from smaller opposition partiesand defections from the ruling Sri Lanka People’s Front party. The rulingparty had nearly 150 votes but that strength has declined amid the economiccrisis and defections in a no-confidence vote are possible.
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A decision on when to hold the no-confidence vote is expected to happenafter members of parliament start meeting on Wednesday.
