Colombo, Nov 05: More than half the country's parliamentarians pledged support today for the country's Prime Minister, who is facing a bitter political showdown with the President. “We have full faith in the Prime Minister,'' Labour Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters, quoting from a letter signed by 124 of the country's 225 members of parliament.
They also rejected yesterday's firing of the Ministers of Defence, Police and the Media by President Chandrika Kumaratunga. She dismissed them while her political rival, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, was on an official visit to Washington. Kumaratunga also suspended parliament for two weeks and today, declared a state of emergency.
The broad support for the Prime Minister could make it politically difficult for Kumaratunga to use her executive powers to dismiss Wickremesinghe.
Just how the showdown could play out, though, remains highly unclear.
The public pledge was drawn up after the Prime Minister mobilised his supporters from Washington. Overnight meetings were held to ensure support for him and prevent defections. Both sides were trying to garner or buy the support of parliamentarians, officials said.
Bureau Report