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Fresh ballot called after vote for Lanka speaker ends in tie
Colombo, Apr 22: Voting today for the speaker of Sri Lanka`s new Parliament ended in a tie between candidates put up by the minority government and the opposition, an official said, adding that a fresh ballot would be held.
Colombo, Apr 22: Voting today for the speaker of Sri Lanka's new Parliament ended in a tie between candidates put up by the minority government and the opposition, an official
said, adding that a fresh ballot would be held.
Parliament secretary general Priyani Wijesekara said after the vote that government candidate, Communist party general secretary D E W Gunasekara and opponent, ex-Buddhist affairs minister W J M Lokubandara, each had 108 votes.
One vote was rejected as the ballot paper had been spoiled, she said. Seven of a group of nine Buddhist monks who hold seats in the 225-member assembly abstained while one MP failed to show up.
"The ballot boxes have been sealed and they will go for a fresh election," Wijesekara said.
The new vote got under way early afternoon.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga's political future is riding on the vote after her freedom alliance at the April 2 polls won 105 seats in the assembly -- eight short of a simple majority.
Failure to install her chosen speaker could spell the end for her plans of governmental reform to allow the president to stand for a third term when her tenure ends in December 2005.
Hectic political maneuvering went on overnight with both the main opposition united National Party of former premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and Kumaratunga trying to woo smaller parties.
Proceedings in parliament were rowdy, with rival MPs exchanging verbal abuses.
Bureau Report
One vote was rejected as the ballot paper had been spoiled, she said. Seven of a group of nine Buddhist monks who hold seats in the 225-member assembly abstained while one MP failed to show up.
"The ballot boxes have been sealed and they will go for a fresh election," Wijesekara said.
The new vote got under way early afternoon.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga's political future is riding on the vote after her freedom alliance at the April 2 polls won 105 seats in the assembly -- eight short of a simple majority.
Failure to install her chosen speaker could spell the end for her plans of governmental reform to allow the president to stand for a third term when her tenure ends in December 2005.
Hectic political maneuvering went on overnight with both the main opposition united National Party of former premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and Kumaratunga trying to woo smaller parties.
Proceedings in parliament were rowdy, with rival MPs exchanging verbal abuses.
Bureau Report