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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 20 November 2018

Sri Lankan lawmakers propose cutting expenses of disputed PM

By BHARATHA MALLA- and refuses to bow to a no
WARACHI vote.”
Associated Press The motion was present-
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — ed a day after a meeting
Sri Lankan lawmakers sub- among political party lead-
mitted a motion Monday ers failed to reach a break-
to suspend the expenses through to resolve the crisis.
of disputed Prime Minister Both Rajapaksa and Sirise-
Mahinda Rajapaksa, who na have refused to accept
has lost two no-confidence the results of the no-con-
motions in Parliament amid fidence motions, saying
an ongoing political crisis. proper procedures were
A lawmaker from the Marx- not followed.
ist Peoples’ Liberation Front, Rajapaksa has said the
which is opposed to Ra- vote should not have been
japaksa, said last week’s done by voice. He also in-
passing of the no-confi- sisted the speaker had no
dence motions meant that authority to remove him
Rajapaksa’s office and the and said he is continuing
government had ceased in his role as prime minister.
to exist and therefore have Lawmakers opposed to Ra-
no power to spend public japaksa have said his gov-
money. ernment is illegal.
The lawmaker, Anura Dis- Supporters of Sri Lanka’s United National Party (UNP) hold placards during a protest against Parliament turned violent
sanayaka, said Parliament President Maithripala Sirisena as they gather in front of the fort railway station in Colombo, Sri when the no-confidence
has power over public fi- Lanka, Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. motions were taken up last
nances and it was on that Associated Press week, with rival lawmak-
basis that Monday’s motion abruptly fired Prime Minis- ity in Parliament. He said it is a “token of the ers exchanging blows. On
was submitted. The vote is ter Ranil Wickremesinghe M.A. Sumanthiran, another powers the Parliament can Friday, lawmakers support-
to take place Nov. 29. and appointed Rajapaksa, lawmaker opposed to Ra- exercise when the group ing Rajapaksa threw books,
Sri Lanka has been in crisis a former president. Wick- japaksa, said Monday’s claiming to be the gov- chairs and chili powder
since Oct. 26, when Presi- remesinghe has said he still motion was presented by ernment does not have mixed with water to try to
dent Maithripala Sirisena has the support of a major- a group of 122 lawmakers. the majority in Parliament block the proceedings.q

Communities flee eruption at Guatemala’s Volcano of Fire

By SONIA PEREZ D. tain shook homes with and drifted toward Guate-
Associated Press “constant sounds similar to mala City to the east.
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — a train locomotive.” Hundreds of families heed-
About 4,000 residents fled Incandescent material ed the call of disaster co-
Guatemala’s Volcano of burst as high as 1,000 me- ordination authorities to
Fire Monday as red-hot ters (3,200 feet) above the evacuate 10 communities,
rock and ash spewed into crater and flows of hot rock piling into yellow school
the sky and cascaded and ash extended nearly 2 buses for trips to shelters.
down the slopes toward miles (3 kilometers) down The national disaster com-
an area devastated by a one flank of the volcano. mission said 3,925 people
deadly eruption earlier this Hot blasts of pyroclastic had been evacuated by
year. material pushed down early Monday.
Guatemala’s volcanol- canyons on the slopes, It spewed more ash and hot
The Volcan de Fuego, or Volcano of Fire, spews hot molten lava
and ash from its crater in Escuintla, Guatemala, early Monday, ogy unit said that explo- while a column of ash rose rock in October, prompt-
Nov. 19, 2018. sions from the 12,300-foot nearly 23,000 feet (7,000 ing warnings for the nearby
Associated Press (3,763-meter) high moun- meters) above sea level communities. q