Colombo: The main Tamil party of Sri Lanka, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on Sunday said it was ready to support the opposition in moving a no-confidence motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government and to impeach the troubled leader.
Sri Lanka’s main opposition party, Samagi Jana Balvegaya (SJB), announced on Friday that it would move a no-confidence motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government after it failed to take steps to address the difficulties faced by the public. . the economic crisis.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa also called for abolishing the post of working president, saying that power should be divided between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
“We will be forced to support the move of the main opposition party to bring a no-confidence motion and impeach the President. The government should understand the public’s demand to release the Rajapaksa family,” said TNA spokesperson MA Sumanthiran.
The TNA delegation met President Rajapaksa last month and asked him to uphold the basics of the 13th Amendment and come up with a political solution that would give them more power through a new constitution.
The TNA wants full devolution under the 13th Amendment because central governments have over the years shown reluctance to grant provinces a demand for police and land powers.
The 13th Amendment provides for the transfer of power to the Tamil community. India has been pressuring Sri Lanka to implement the 13th Amendment which was brought in after the 1987 India-Sri Lanka accord.
The SJB general secretary said that the SJB has said that they have started the process of launching a no-confidence motion against the government.
SJB and TNA together have 64 seats in the 225-member assembly. The Rajapaksa government, with more than 150 seats with allies, lost 42 members when it declared independence from the SLPP-ruling coalition.
Parliament is not to meet before 19 April.
These political maneuvers were taking place amid massive anti-government street protests demanding the resignation of the Sri Lankan President.
People have been protesting for weeks over prolonged power cuts and lack of gas, food and other basic supplies.
Since Saturday, protesters from all walks of life have marched in Galle Face, where Rajapaksa’s secretariat is located.
President Rajapaksa and his older brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, hold power in Sri Lanka, despite its politically powerful family being the center of public anger.
The president defended his government’s actions, saying the foreign exchange crisis was not his creation and that the economic slowdown was largely driven by the island nation’s tourism revenue and inward remittances.
Sri Lanka’s main opposition party, Samagi Jana Balvegaya (SJB), announced on Friday that it would move a no-confidence motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government after it failed to take steps to address the difficulties faced by the public. . the economic crisis.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa also called for abolishing the post of working president, saying that power should be divided between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
“We will be forced to support the move of the main opposition party to bring a no-confidence motion and impeach the President. The government should understand the public’s demand to release the Rajapaksa family,” said TNA spokesperson MA Sumanthiran.
The TNA delegation met President Rajapaksa last month and asked him to uphold the basics of the 13th Amendment and come up with a political solution that would give them more power through a new constitution.
The TNA wants full devolution under the 13th Amendment because central governments have over the years shown reluctance to grant provinces a demand for police and land powers.
The 13th Amendment provides for the transfer of power to the Tamil community. India has been pressuring Sri Lanka to implement the 13th Amendment which was brought in after the 1987 India-Sri Lanka accord.
The SJB general secretary said that the SJB has said that they have started the process of launching a no-confidence motion against the government.
SJB and TNA together have 64 seats in the 225-member assembly. The Rajapaksa government, with more than 150 seats with allies, lost 42 members when it declared independence from the SLPP-ruling coalition.
Parliament is not to meet before 19 April.
These political maneuvers were taking place amid massive anti-government street protests demanding the resignation of the Sri Lankan President.
People have been protesting for weeks over prolonged power cuts and lack of gas, food and other basic supplies.
Since Saturday, protesters from all walks of life have marched in Galle Face, where Rajapaksa’s secretariat is located.
President Rajapaksa and his older brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, hold power in Sri Lanka, despite its politically powerful family being the center of public anger.
The president defended his government’s actions, saying the foreign exchange crisis was not his creation and that the economic slowdown was largely driven by the island nation’s tourism revenue and inward remittances.