Sri Lankan court blocks Rajapaksa from acting as PM

Sri Lankan court on Monday barred Mahinda Rajapaksa from acting as Prime Minister, in a major set back to President Maithripala Sirisena who had installed his former rival in place of Ranil Wickremesinghe in a controversial decision.

The Court issued notice and an interim order against Rajapaksa and his Government, preventing them from acting as Prime Minister, Cabinet and Deputy Ministers, Colombo Gazette reported.

The order was issued in a Quo Warranto case filed by 122 MPs against Rajapaksa and his Government.

Lanka is witnessing a political crisis since October 26 when President Sirisena sacked Wickeremesinghe and replaced him with Rajapaksa.

Both Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa claim to be the prime ministers. Wickremesinghe says his dismissal is invalid because he still holds a majority in the 225-member Parliament.