Rajapaksa's opponents win control of key panel in Lankan Parliament
Colombo, Nov 23 : Ousted Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe's alliance on Friday won control of a powerful panel in Parliament, dealing a major blow to President Maithripala Sirisena and his prime ministerial appointee Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Sirisena's party members walked out of Parliament, which resumed its session on Friday after being adjourned on Monday, protesting against Speaker Karu Jayasuriya's move to appoint five members of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) which is led by the President.
The Speaker named five members from the United National Front (UNF) of Wickeremesinghe, and one each from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
This is in continuation of the political unrest plaguing the country since October 26.
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.
Jayasuriya, at the start of the session, announced that following a meeting of all party leaders which ended without an agreement over the composition of the committee, he had decided to grant five members each to the UPFA and the UNF.
The committee would comprise 12 members, he said. Senior UPFA member Dinesh Gunawardena slammed the speaker's conduct as biased.
"I urge you to recognise us as the government and give us the majority in the select committee.
"We have precedents that even during the minority governments in the past the government had been given majority in the select committee," he said.
Lakshman Kiriella on behalf of the ousted government said that Jayasuriya has declared the members based on two previous votes that there was no government and the purported government does not exist.
Wimal Weerawansa, another Sirisena backer, said that if Jayasuriya was not recognising the government, they would not recognise Jayasuriya as the Speaker.
"We will leave the chamber allowing you to conduct a meeting of the United National Party," Weerawansa said and led Sirisena's side out of the chamber.
Jayasuriya then proceeded to take a vote on his decision on the select committee composition after a vote was moved by JVP's Vijitha Herath.
The proposal was adopted with 121 votes for and nothing against. The members of the UNF, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the Tamil National Alliance voted in favour.
Sri Lanka is witnessing a political crisis since President Sirisena abruptly sacked Wickremesinghe on October 26.
Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered snap election. The Supreme Court overturned Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls.
Speaker Jayasuriya then ordered a floor test in the 225-member assembly to end the ongoing political crisis, a move which invited the wrath of the government of Rajapaksa.
The UNF has already moved two motions of no trust against Rajapaksa and they are to move a third vote again, perhaps Friday. Rajapaksa, however, has refused to step down.
On Wednesday, Wickremesinghe's party handed Parliament another motion, demanding suspension of funds of all ministry secretaries whom they claim had been illegally appointed since October 26.
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Indian airlines cancel 281 flights amid Middle East crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Indian carriers cancelled 281 international flights on Thursday due to the Middle East crisis, and the government is closely monitoring the evolving situation in the region.
The escalating conflict in the Middle East involving the US, Israel and Iran has resulted in airspace closures that have significantly impacted flight operations.
The civil aviation ministry on Thursday said it continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in West Asia.
"As of 5 March, a total of 281 flights scheduled to operate today by Indian domestic carriers have been cancelled. Passengers are advised to regularly monitor their flight status and remain attentive to updates shared through their registered contact details by their respective airlines," the ministry said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, a Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) is operational.
"A total of 1,461 grievances have been addressed during this period through AirSewa, social media platforms, and dedicated helpline calls, in coordination with airlines and other concerned stakeholders. For assistance, passengers may reach out to the Ministry's PACR helpline numbers: 011-24604283 / 011-24632987," the ministry said.
Meanwhile, at least 70 international flights were cancelled at Delhi and Bangalore airports on Thursday due to the Middle East crisis, officials said.
SpiceJet said it would operate 13 special flights on Thursday, while Akasa Air would have one flight as well as the return from Mumbai to Jeddah.
"Flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait will remain suspended until March 07, 2026," Akasa Air said in a post on X.
Carriers, including those from the Middle East, started operating a limited number of flights to ferry stranded passengers.
In a report on Thursday, credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings said it expects the conflict will likely have a more pronounced effect on Indian-headquartered carriers, given their higher capacity and number of routes to the Middle East.
"We believe carriers with a higher proportion of international routes will be most affected," it added.
According to the report, the Middle East is a critical hub for international air travel, with major airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha that connect passenger traffic between Europe, Asia, and beyond.
Leading regional airlines -- including Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways, which are some of the largest airlines globally -- depend heavily on this region for their hub-and-spoke operations. As a result, they face more immediate challenges due to the recent escalations, the report said.
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