Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

A11
WORLD NEWS Wednesday 20 november 2019

Sri Lanka's new president may struggle to form government

By KRISHAN FRANCIS nil Wickremesinghe loses a course and says it recogniz-
Associated Press no-confidence vote or re- es the mandate Rajapaksa
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) signs, allowing Parliament received, but that it has
— Sri Lanka's newly elect- to choose a new prime not yet decided whether
ed president, Gotabaya minister. to clear the way.
Rajapaksa, may struggle Rajapaksa faces legal bar- "The mandate is so over-
to consolidate his victory. riers in appointing a gov- whelming that it is difficult
With many executive pow- ernment because of a 2015 for the Ranil Wickremesing-
ers clipped and the opposi- constitutional amendment he government to survive
tion in control of a powerful that curtails the powers anymore," said analyst
Parliament, the former de- of the presidency that fol- and independent journalist
fense official who inspires lowed an unsuccessful bid Kusal Perera.
respect but also fear may for reelection by his broth- Several Cabinet ministers
have difficulty assembling er, ex-President Mahinda have already resigned af-
a government. Rajapaksa. ter the governing party's
Rajapaksa, who is credited The president can appoint defeat.
with helping end the coun- or fire ministers only on the The parliamentary speak-
try's long civil war, com- In this Nov. 13, 2019, file photo, Sri Lanka's former defense advice of the prime minis- er's office said in a state-
secretary and presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa
fortably won Saturday's attends a rally in Homagama, on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri ter — whom the president ment that party leaders
presidential election with Lanka. has no power to remove — and lawmakers are dis-
about 52% of the ballots. Associated Press and can't hold any ministry cussing different options
But minorities largely voted sworn in as Sri Lanka's sev- executive power for the portfolios. including a voluntary dis-
for his opponent, fearing his enth president on Monday, benefit of the country," Ra- Rajapaksa can legally dis- solution of Parliament with
return to power because he said he would form his japaksa said. "I will form a solve Parliament only next the support of two-thirds of
of allegations of wartime own government. new government that can March, six months before its its members or allowing Ra-
human rights violations "I am the executive presi- implement my policies." term ends. japaksa to appoint a care-
against him. dent of this country. I will But that depends on Wickremesinghe's party is taker government to func-
When Rajapaksa was not hesitate to use my whether Prime Minister Ra- in discussions on its future tion until March.q

15 killed, 9 injured in northern China coal mine explosion

Associated Press injury and the cause of the a scenario was blamed for
BEIJING (AP) — A gas ex- explosion was being inves- the world's deadliest min-
plosion inside a coal mine tigated. While relatively ing accident, at the Benx-
in northern China has killed small in scale, the mine had ihu, or Honkeiko, colliery in
15 miners and left another been cited last year for fail- northeastern China's Liaon-
nine injured, authorities ure to provide adequate ing province in 1942 while it
said Tuesday. The blast oc- training for workers. Gas ex- was under Japanese mili-
curred Monday afternoon plosions in mines usually oc- tary management. China's
at a mine operated by the cur when volatile methane, mines have long been the
local Feng Yan Group in also known as coal gas, is world's deadliest, account-
Shanxi province's Pingyao not properly ventilated af- ing for about 80% of all
county. Rescue work was ter leaking from the seam. mining deaths globally. A
halted early Tuesday morn- At a high concentration, drop in the price of coal,
ing after everyone was ac- the gas can be ignited by a safety improvements, bet-
counted for. simple spark, open flame or ter training and the closure In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, rescuers
The Shanxi provincial work electrical equipment, set- of smaller mines have re- enter a coal mine that was the site of a gas explosion in Pingyao
safety administration said ting off second explosions duced the toll considerably county in northern China's Shanxi Province, Tuesday, Nov. 19,
2019.
11 miners escaped without of coal dust in the air. Such in recent years.q Associated Press