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Sri Lanka Tamils push parliament to end crisis

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AFP Colombo
Last Updated : Nov 04 2018 | 8:35 PM IST

Sri Lanka's main Tamil party on Sunday urged the president to reconvene parliament and end a worsening political crisis, as the minority ethnic community emerge as kingmakers in the power struggle.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) could tip the balance should parliament be recalled this week to decide between two rivals claiming the lawful right to head Sri Lanka's government.

The nation of 21-million has been gripped by constitutional turmoil since President Maithripala Sirisena sacked his former ally, prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and his cabinet on October 26.

Wickremesinghe says his dismissal was illegal as he commands a greater majority in parliament than Mahinda Rajapakse, the former strongman president controversially installed in his place.

The TNA has already said it would vote against Rajapakse in a no-confidence motion when parliament reconvenes.

Both rivals have been marshalling numbers behind the scenes, worrying civil society groups who protested Sunday in the capital Colombo against the horse-trading.

TNA legislator Dharmalingam Sithadthan said the president had called the Tamil legislators to a meeting Wednesday -- the same day parliament was expected to reconvene.

"We have asked the president to immediately call parliament and end this crisis,"

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First Published: Nov 04 2018 | 8:35 PM IST

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