Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa presents his national statement as a part of the World Leaders' Summit at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, 1 November 2021;
Credit: Andy Buchanan / Pool via Reuters
COLOMBO (Reuters) - On Tuesday 5 April 2022, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's ruling coalition lost its majority in parliament after at least 41 lawmakers walked out of the alliance amid growing unrest over an economic crisis, according to parliamentary proceedings.
"Our party is on the side of the people", said Maithripala Sirisena, leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party which withdrew its support for Rajapaksa's coalition.
The shift left Gotabaya Rajapaksa with a minority government, which could make decision making more challenging, although independent lawmakers can still continue to support government proposals.
