Sri Lankan PM sees majority in parliament: party

COLOMBO – Sri Lanka's newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse has secured a majority in the island's 225-member parliament and will continue to retain his premiership despite protests from the ruling United National Party (UNP), the Rajapakse-led Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) said here Saturday. 

SLPP Legislator and eldest son of Rajapakse, Namal Rajapakse told Xinhua that his father had secured the support of over 120 legislators, thus winning him a majority at the parliament, and a new caretaker government would be sworn in soon. 

"All MPs supporting Mahinda Rajapakse will meet President Maithripala Sirisena later on Saturday and we will finalize the new list of ministers. A new caretaker government will be formed either on Sunday or Monday," Rajapakse said. 
He added that the immediate aim of the caretaker government would be to stabilize the economy and end the political crisis in the country. 

Rajapakse was appointed as the nation's new prime minister by President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday night, shocking "ousted" Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his UNP. 

Sirisena, in a letter sent to Wickremesinghe said he had been removed from the post of prime minister after the Sirisena-led United People's Freedom Alliance quit the national coaliation government. 

Wickremesinghe has called the move illegal and said a Prime Minister could only be sacked if he lost a no confidence motion in parliament. 

Wickremesinghe said he would continue as the Prime Minister and has called for Parliament to convene to prove his majority.Sirisena earlier on Saturday has suspended parliament till Nov. 16.Enditem 
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