Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday suspended parliament until Nov. 16, a day after removing Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister and replacing him with former leader Mahinda Rajapaksa in a surprise move that signals escalating political tensions in the South Asian nation.
"The president has prorogued the parliament," Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters.
Minutes earlier Wickremesinghe, who said he remains prime minister, urged the speaker to convene parliament to prove he retains his parliamentary majority.