Parliament Summoned Amidst Of Political Crisis In Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's president is ordering Parliament to reconvene Nov. 14, when lawmakers will get the chance to hold a confidence vote on the nation's former strongman who has been named prime minister.

The announcement made in a decree Sunday comes amid a political crisis in the South Asian island nation.

President Maithripala Sirisena dismissed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Cabinet and replaced him with former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa last month. He also suspended Parliament in an apparent attempt to give Rajapaksa time to muster support to survive any no-confidence vote.

Political opponents, rights groups and foreign governments including United States have urged Sirisena to summon the houses immediately and end the crisis.

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Wickremesinghe had also demanded the convening of Parliament, saying he still controls a majority of lawmakers. (VOA)