Sirisena called the all party leaders’ meeting after Rajapaksa, his choice to lead the government, was voted out twice within days by a majority in a no-confidence motion. “To decide on the no confidence motion presented against the government, president noted that he wanted a vote with a name call or electronically displayed,” Sirisena’s office said in a statement. The country’s parliament descended into chaos for a third straight day last Friday as lawmakers supporting Rajapaksa threw books, chili paste, water bottles and furniture at the speaker to try to disrupt the no-confidence vote. Sirisena late last month removed and replaced Wickremesinghe with Rajapaksa, plunging the island off India’s southeast coast into political turmoil. Wickremesinghe’s party said it was ready for a “floor test” in parliament to prove it had majority support for the ousted prime minister.

Source: Dhaka Tribune November 19, 2018 03:56 UTC