Sri Lankan president asks legislators to call for another no-confidence vote against gov't

COLOMBO - Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has informed the parliament legislators to call for a no-confidence vote on the government again, after he rejected last Friday's no-confidence vote as unconstitutional, a statement from the President's Office said on Monday.

According to the statement, following the all party meeting held between several parliamentary legislators and the president on Sunday evening, President Sirisena said he could make a decision on the no-confidence motion against the government only if a vote is taken by name or conducted through an electronic vote.

Sirisena said this would be the most accepted method of voting by the local and international community.

Mahinda Rajapakse, the prime minister appointed by Sirisena, and sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had also attended the meeting between the president and legislators.

Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said last Friday that a second no-confidence motion called for in the parliament against the government had been passed with a majority, despite it being taken amidst violence and under heavy police presence.

However, the government rejected the vote as invalid saying the speaker had not followed the basic parliamentary rules in calling for the no-confidence vote.

Sri Lanka has been embroiled in a political turmoil since Oct 26, when President Sirisena surprisingly dissolved his cabinet, sacked Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, appointed former president Rajapakse to the post and appointed a new caretaker government.