An all-party conference convened by President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday ended without an agreement, prolonging the political crisis that has gripped Sri Lanka for over three weeks.
Mr. Sirisena called for a meeting of all party representatives on Sunday, in the wake of a political deadlock following a no-confidence motion against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Mr. Rajapaksa, who was controversially appointed Prime Minister on October 26, was defeated by three votes in the House last week, but has refused to accept the result citing “procedural” reasons.
However, MPs aligned to deposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe and from other Opposition parties have countered the claim, pointing to specific provisions that allow such a vote. The House took up a vote on Friday under tumultuous circumstances, with Mr. Rajapaksa’s MPs resorting to violence against MPs challenging them.
The political stalemate has since persisted, with Mr. Rajapaksa refusing to step down and Mr. Wickremesinghe declaring that he had the numbers to form government.
