Sri Lanka PM to face no-confidence motion

Sri Lankan Opposition has handed over to the Speaker a no-confidence motion signed by more than 100 lawmakers against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a move likely to hasten the dissolution of the parliament.
United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Bandula Gunawardane said the no-confidence motion, seeking to unseat Wickremesinghe, was handed over to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa at his residence last night.
He said the motion was signed by 112 opposition lawmakers of the 225-member Sri Lankan parliament.
The no-confidence motion deals with several matters, including the controversial treasory bond issue, surrounding Wickremesinghe and accuses him and his United National Party (UNP) of political high-handedness.

The bond scandal involved Sri Lanka's Central Bank chief's son-in-law's firm. It was alleged that the firm had benefited from inside information on Central Bank's decision to sell 10 billion rupees (USD 76 million) worth of bonds.
The issue had rocked the Sri Lankan parliament as the Opposition had demanded a probe.

President Maithripala Sirisena appointed Wickremesinghe the minority Prime Minister after he defeated Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presidential election in January.
However, Rajapaksa loyalists in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party now led by Sirisena demand that Wickremesinghe be sacked and replaced by a Rajapaksa loyalist.
Sirisena, who pledged to dissolve the current parliament by April 23, has held back the decision until he could finish his democratic reform agenda.

The motion against Wickremesinghe will be debated at a future date to be decided once it enters the order book in parliament, officials said.