UNF no longer considers MR the Prime Minister

Thursday, 15 November 2018 01:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Says will not let Rajapaksa make any statement at Parliament as PM today
Claims President now has no power to call for Cabinet meetings as his PM was ousted via a no confidence motion

United National Front (UNF) MP Patali Champika Ranawaka said that they would not let MP Mahinda Rajapaksa make any statement in the capacity of Prime Minister today in Parliament, pointing that he was ousted with the passing of the no confidence motion in Parliament yesterday.

"According to Article 42 of the Constitution, Mahinda Rajapaksa doesn't necessarily have to resign from his post as the Prime Minister as the no confidence motion was passed with the majority of the House so he was automatically ousted from his portfolio," he told journalists at Temple Trees yesterday.

He categorically said that they did not consider Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister any longer and would not let him make any statements in Parliament today, as there was no legal background to his portfolio now.

Ranawaka asserted that by winning the no confidence motion against Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday, the recently-appointed Cabinet also got dissolved.

"Now the President has no power to call for Cabinet meetings. If they try to be in their positions by force, we will also take action against them," he added.