Lanka president seeks talks to end power struggle

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday called crucial talks with political leaders in a bid to end a power struggle with the prime minister he sacked last month.

The Indian Ocean nation has been paralysed since October 26 when Sirisena deposed Ranil Wickremesinghe as premier and replaced him with a former rival Mahinda Rajapakse. Wickremesinghe insists he is still prime minister while parliament voted twice last week to reject Rajapakse.

"President Sirisena will chair a meeting of representatives of political parties in parliament today," his office said in a statement. "The president has called this meeting in order to end the current political unrest and conflict situation and to allow the normal functioning of the parliament."

Brawling erupted in parliament with Rajapakse loyalists smashing furniture, throwing chilli powder and projectiles at rivals in a bid to disrupt a no-confidence motion against the disputed prime minister.

After the second vote against Rajapakse on Friday, Wickremesinghe demanded that his government be restored, but there has been no response from Sirisena yet. Wickremesinghe has said Sri Lanka needs "stability" and that he was ready to work with Sirisena despite the personality clash that triggered the constitutional crisis.