Srisena suffers another setback in parliament
Sri Lanka's deposed prime minister secured control of a key committee in parliament yesterday, dealing a blow to the country's president in the latest twist in a month-long political crisis.
Sri Lanka has been politically paralysed since October 26 when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe as premier and replaced him with divisive former leader Mahinda Rajapakse.
But a vote yesterday gave Wickremesinghe control of a selection committee entrusted with setting the legislative agenda in the absence of a working government.
Shortly before Speaker Karu Jayasuriya took a vote on setting up the panel, legislators loyal to Sirisena and Rajapakse walked out of the chamber in protest.
Rajapakse has lost two no-confidence votes in the assembly, but refuses to step down.
Two weeks after sacking Wickremesinghe, Sirisena initially suspended parliament and then dissolved it, calling snap elections for January.
However these moves were suspended by the Supreme Court days later pending an investigation.
For 19 days, Sri Lanka had two claimants to the prime minister's post -- but since last Thursday parliament speaker Jayasuriya held that he would recognise neither.
Legislators on both sides say that with the administration at a standstill, key sectors such as tourism in the Indian Ocean island popular with visitors are suffering badly.
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