How come Mahinda Rajapakse is Prime Minister ?

a peoples' man

 It is so confusing reading the Constitution with Articles, 42,44,46,48 with  sub-articles  1,2 etc. Therefore of all the numbers let us take only the number 19 and try to understand what happened on the 26 October, 2018.

According to number 19  Sri Lanka cannot have more than 30 Ministers in a National  Cabinet, unless two or more  political parties agreed to unite to form one National Government.

In August,2015 in terms of number 19, the  Yahapalanaya Government  was set up as a National Coalition government with the UNF and UPFA signing an agreement to form a coalition.  They could therefore under number 19, have a Cabinet of more than 30 Ministers, Thus  they had a Yahapalanaya government with  a Cabinet of 40 Ministers.

Hence the rule was the Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe could function in that office  as the Prime Minister of the Coalition as long as the coalition lasts.

But on the 26^th October,2018 the situation changed with the UPFA the other partner to the Coalition  of the Yahapalanaya Government sent a letter to the Speaker to say that they have left the Yahapalanaya Government  as its Coalition Partner.

Therefore, the Coalition government was left  with only one party to it,  with the Cabinet of Ministers reduced by that number that left the Coalition. Hence  the Yahapalanaya did not exist anymore as a coalition. In that changed situation under the  now famous number 19,  Ranil Wickrmasinghe  lost his office as the Prime Minister and the government “became” desolved.

Therefore, the President Maithripala Sirisena taking into account the changed  situation vis à vis the  Yahapalnaya government, finding the country without a Prime Minister and therefore a government , called upon Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse MP from Kurunagala ,  who in his opinion is able to have the confidence of the Members of the Parliament to form a Government under number 19,  and swore him in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka replacing Ranil Wickramasinghe who was disposed of from that office under the same number 19.

Furthermore, it is important to note  that there is no requirement under the  Constitution of Sri Lanka for  a Prime Minister sworn in by the President to  show a majority in the Parliament. This is a demand made by the mentally ill, now  disposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe  and his equally crazy supporters who want to remain in political power.

Also the President can prorogue the parliament and recall parliament at his will. There is nothing against it in the Constitution and the  number 19.

That I think is as simple as that.