House puts pressure on disputed Lanka PM

• Appeal Court hears petition challenging Rajapaksa's authority

Sri Lanka's parliament yesterday voted to halt payment of ministers' salaries and travel expenses, but it remained unclear how the move would impact the disputed government of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa whose ministers boycotted the vote.

The South Asian island has been locked in political gridlock for over a month since President Maithripala Sirisena replaced former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with Rajapaksa, who was then twice sacked by parliament but has refused to resign.

Foreign countries have yet to recognise the new government.

Yesterday's motion, which passed 122 to none in the 225-member parliament, followed a similar vote on Thursday to cut the budget to the Prime Minister's office. Rajapaksa loyalists also skipped that vote, arguing the motion was illegal.

"The motion to cut down the expenditures of ministers, deputy ministers, and state ministers is passed," parliament's speaker Karu Jayasuriya said. He earlier said he would officially inform ministry secretaries of the decision.

The motion specifically was to prohibit top civil servants from paying out salaries and travel expenses.

However, one senior civil servant from a government ministry, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear how such a vote would be applied in practice because there were questions over whether due process had been followed.

In a repeat of Thursday's actions, Rajapaksa loyalists denounced the vote and called into question the impartiality of the speaker.

Later, Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe met in the parliament, sources close to the two men told Reuters.

Separately yesterday, the Appeal Court began a hearing on a petition signed by 122 legislators that challenged Rajapaksa's authority to hold office after he lost two no confidence votes earlier this month.

Rajapaksa's party argues that its government should remain in power because the president never accepted the no confidence votes.