Weeks of political uncertainty looms large over Sri Lanka with President Maithripala Sirisena appointing his former rival, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new Prime Minister. 

Issuing a statement a short while ago, President Sirisena's office confirmed that Rajapaksa had been appointed the Prime Minister. 

Commenting on the matter, sources close to the President said there was no constitutional barrier preventing the President from appointing a new Prime Minister. 

According to the 19th Amendment to the constitution,  a Prime Minister cannot be removed in the Nineteenth Amendment, unless

a)he resigns from office; or
b)ceases to be a Member of Parliament.

The President’s power to remove the Prime Minister is absent from both Sinhala and English texts in the 19th Amendment to the constitution,

However, the 19th Amendment also states that the President can appoint a Prime Minister who, in the President's opinion, commands the support of a majority of MPs in the House.