Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has sacked the country’s Prime Minister and his Cabinet and replaced him with a former ‘strongman’, creating what some observers said could be a constitutional crisis in the South Asian island nation.

The outgoing Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, told reporters on Friday he had no intention of leaving his post, reports abc.net.au.

‘I have the majority. I will function as the Prime Minister. I will remain as the Prime Minister,’ he said.

Sirisena informed Wickremesinghe he was being replaced by his former nemesis, Mahinda Rajapaksa, according to aide Mahinda Amaraweera.

Amaraweera, a politician from Mr Rajapaksa’s party, said Rajapaksa had a majority needed in the 225-member Parliament for him to take over.

But experts say a recent constitutional amendment makes that unclear.

Constitutional lawyers, political activists and pundits have debated on social media and Sri Lankan TV whether Wickremesinghe’s ouster was legitimate.

The constitution says a president has the right to appoint someone they think has a majority in parliament.

But the 19th amendment, added in 2015, says a prime minister can only be removed when he or she ceases to be a member of parliament — such as for failing to meet criteria to be an elector or candidate, when a vote of no-confidence is passed, or when he or she chooses to resign.

‘At the moment, there is a constitutional crisis — two persons each claiming to be the prime minister,’ said Jehan Perera, executive director of the nonpartisan National Peace Council of Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksa’s appointment could herald return of violent era

Rajapaksa ruled Sri Lanka as president for nine years beginning in 2005, accumulating immense power and popularity among the country’s majority ethnic Sinhalese after overseeing the military’s defeat of ethnic Tamil rebels in 2009, ending a 25-year civil war.

Some supporters hailed him as a king and saviour.

But he also was criticised for failing to allow an investigation into allegations of war crimes by the military.

Under his government, dozens of journalists were killed, abducted and tortured and some fled the country fearing for their lives.

He lost a bid for re-election in 2015 amid mounting allegations of corruption and nepotism.

His return to power as prime minister could signal that Sri Lanka is sliding back to an era of violence against political opponents, critics and journalists, observers said.

Appointment ‘unconstitutional and illegal’

Members of Wickremesinghe’s Government called Friday’s move a coup.

‘The appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister is unconstitutional and illegal. This is an undemocratic coup,’ Mangala Samaraweera, finance minister of the outgoing Government, said on Facebook.

A private TV network loyal to Mr Rajapaksa televised him being sworn in as the new Prime Minister.

Rajapaksa then visited a Buddhist temple in Colombo — a typical rite of passage for new leaders to receive religious blessings.

Some 200 supporters, some carrying photographs of him, gathered outside Rajapaksa’s home to congratulate him.

One of them, Amal Prasanna, said the move was ‘totally unexpected’ but he was happy Rajapaksa had returned.

‘We expect economic development and a good future for our children,’ he said.

Traditionally, Sirisena’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party has espoused left-of-centre views and opposed economic liberalisation, while Wickremesinghe’s United National Party leans right and has championed reforms to open up Sri Lanka’s economy.

His Government also pledged justice for those accused of committing atrocities in Sri Lanka’s civil war during Mr Rajapaksa’s rule.

Wickremesinghe had survived a no-confidence motion in Parliament in April, which was brought by supporters of Rajapaksa. The main allegation against Wickremesinghe involved his appointment of a Singaporean as the central bank governor who is now accused of leaking inside information to benefit his son-in-law in a treasury bond sale.