New Delhi: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Tuesday informed senior party members that he will not resign from his post but is willing to hand over the power to any party that proves its majority in Parliament, reported news agency ANI.
Since the protests against the government broke out in the country, Sri Lankan Parliament will convene for the first time today. Speaker, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will conduct a vote to determine which party gains absolute majority of 113 seats in the 225-member assembly.
The government seems to have lost its two-third majority after the exit of its alliance partner Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and with some government MPs threatening to sit independent, reported ANI, citing the Daily Mirror newspaper.
The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is trying to hold on to the simple majority of 113 seats so that it remains in power and Mahinda Rajapaksa continues as the Prime Minister of the country.
If the government fails to prove a majority in the parliament today, the Speaker will call for a debate to decide on the new Prime Minister and hand over the government to the new party as decided by President Rajapaksa, reported ANI
Earlier on Sunday, All 26 Cabinet ministers other than President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his elder brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from office with immediate effect amid mounting public pressure
Three other members of the powerful Rajapaksa family - finance minister Basil, agriculture minister Chamal and sports minister Namal, also resigned from the ministry.