With the motion, Opposition sought to demonstrate how nationwide calls for President Rajapaksa’s resignation is reflected in the country’s legislature, said report.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday announced that he will appoint a new Prime Minister and a Cabinet this week.
Governor of the bank Nandalal Weerasinghe told reporters that the political unrest derailed the bank's recovery plans, and the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa as the prime minister on Monday and the lack of a replacement were complicating matters.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed that a national council will be appointed to name a new prime minister and Cabinet comprised of all parties in Parliament, lawmaker Maithripala Sirisena said after meeting with the president.
People have endured months of shortages of essentials like food, cooking gas, fuel and medicine, lining up for hours to buy the very limited stocks available.
“The govt must pay heed to public demand for Rajapaksas to quit, if not we'll bring a no-confidence motion," the leader of Samagi Jana Balawegaya told Parliament.
As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, the government imposed import restrictions to try and stop dwindling of foreign reserves. Sri Lanka currently banks on the Indian economic assistance with credit lines being made available to finance fuel and food imports.
Foreign Secretary Shringla called on President Rajapaksa before he wrapped up his four-day visit to the island nation to review the bilateral ties. The meeting took place a day after the president returned from the US after attending the annual UN General Assembly.
Sri Lankan economic crisis: According to Central Bank of Sri Lanka, country's foreign reserves fell to USD 2.8 billion at the end of July, from USD 7.5 billion in November 2019 when the government took office and the rupee has lost more than 20 per cent of its value against the US dollar in that time.
A person has been arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly forging the signature of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and misusing Presidential letterheads, it was reported.
While attending a video conference of all South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries amid Coronavirus scare, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said, "Our economy has taken serious blow, particularly tourism sector which was just recovering after last years' terrorist attack.
Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is likely to dissolve the Parliament later on Sunday, paving the way for snap elections in the country months ahead of the schedule, a top minister said.
He also said both India and Sri Lanka need to work together on issues related to security and overall welfare of the people of the two countries.
"We want to be a neutral country," Rajapaksa, who was sworn in as Sri Lanka's president last week, told Nitin Gokhale of BharatShakti.in and Strategic News International in an interview.
The appointment of a new Sri Lankan Prime Minister and Cabinet was likely to be delayed due to a pending a top level meeting between newly-elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka's controversial wartime defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was on Monday sworn in as the country's President at the Ruwanweli Seya precincts in the ancient north-central town of Anuradhapura.
In the results declared by 4.30 am on Sunday, Rajapaksa had won postal votes of nine districts with his main challenger Sajith Premadasa winning postal votes of only three districts.
New Delhi: Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa today called on Defence Minister Arun Jaitley during which a number of issues came under discussion.Gotabaya, who is the Secretary of Lankan Ministry of Defence and Urban
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