Huge rally in Colombo to protest sacking of Sri Lanka PM

Tens of thousands blocked the centre of Colombo last night to protest the sacking of Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister.

Sri Lanka's sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, third from left, waves to his supporters in Colombo last night.

Tens of thousands of activists blocked the centre of Colombo last night to protest the sacking of Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister.

Mr Wickremesinghe’s United National Party staged the protest outside his official residence where he has remained since President Maithripala Sirisena dismissed him last Friday.

Mr Sirisena named former authoritarian president Mahinda Rajapakse as head of government, triggering a constitutional crisis.

The party said about 100,000 people took part in the protests while police sources gave a figure of 25,000 before more arrived.

“We are against the sacking, the people did not vote for Sirisena to act in this manner,” Mr Wickremesinghe told supporters from a makeshift stage. “We will resist what the President has done.”

Crowds chanted “down with the rogue PM”, referring to Mr Rajapakse, and “respect the mandate, recall parliament”. Effigies of Mr Sirisena were torn up in a symbolic protest against the President’s move, which has been described by many local newspapers as a “constitutional coup”.

Large crowds, many wearing caps in green, the UNP party colour, took part in the hurriedly arranged rally that forced the closure of several roads. More than 2600 police and 10 units of Special Task Force commandos were deployed for the protest, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has warned that the crisis could lead to a “bloodbath” on the streets unless Mr Sirisena ends a suspension of parliament to let MPs choose between Mr Wickremesinghe and Mr Rajapakse.

Mr Wickremesinghe has demanded that parliament meet so that he can prove he has majority backing.

The rival prime ministers battled yesterday to tempt politicians from opposing sides as they sought numbers to swing any vote of confidence held in parliament to end the country’s constitutional crisis.

Mr Rajapakse, who was named head of government by the President on Friday, gave four politicians from Mr Wickremesinghe’s party ministerial portfolios after persuading them to defect on Monday.

Mr Wickremesinghe, who has remained in the prime minister’s residence since he was sacked on Friday, has convinced two politicians from Mr Sirisena’s camp to join his United National Party.

Following the defections, Mr Wickremesinghe has 105 MPs in the 225-seat chamber and Mr Rajapakse and Mr Sirisena together have 98. A majority of the 22 remaining MPs are expected to back Mr Wickremesinghe in any vote but the horse-trading was sure to intensify, observers said.

A deputy minister in Mr Wickremesinghe’s administration, Ranjan Ramanayake, accused China of funding Mr Rajapakse’s buying of MPs.

“I am telling China not to spend their millions to buy MPs in Sri Lanka. They want to buy the country wholesale,” he said.

Mr Rajapakse led a pro-China policy during his 10 years as president up to 2015. But the claim was denied by the Chinese embassy in Colombo.

“Recent allegations about China by MP Ranjan Ramanayake are groundless and irresponsible,” the embassy said. “China has consistently supported the principle of non-interference.”

Despite calls by Mr Wickremesinghe, the US and other countries for parliament to be called to end the crisis, Mr Sirisena showed no sign of lifting his ban of parliament meetings, which runs until November 16.

Mr Wickremesinghe’s finance minister Mangala Samaraweera said the President was trying to buy time to secure votes in the legislature to back Mr Rajapakse as prime minister.

“If he (the President) has the majority, there is no need to keep parliament shut. He wants to buy time to do some horse deals,” Mr Samaraweera said.

Parliament speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Monday warned of a “bloodbath” unless the assembly was allowed to vote for Mr Wickremesighe or Mr Rajapakse.

Mr Sirisena appointed a 12-member cabinet late on Monday, giving the powerful finance portfolio to Mr Rajapakse.

On Sunday, bodyguards for Petroleum Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, a former Sri Lanka cricket captain, opened fire at a crowd as they moved to rescue him from Rajapakse supporters.

AFP