Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal on Monday restrained controversially installed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his purported Cabinet of Ministers from functioning in their respective offices.
The interim order follows a quo warranto petition filed by 122 MPs on November 23, challenging Mr. Rajapaksa’s continuance in the office of the Prime Minister, after losing two trust votes in Parliament on November 14 and 16.
The court asked the former President and his Ministers to explain on December 12, on whose authority they continued acting in office despite the legislature voting them out twice.
All eyes are now on Mr. Sirisena, who is scheduled to chair two crucial meetings on Monday evening — with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and relevant officials on the possible release of political prisoners, and with the United National Front — led by Mr. Wickremesinghe’s UNP — who showed a strength of 117 members in the House last week, with the critical support of 14 TNA lawmakers.
