In a fresh development, Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya sent a letter to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya stating expressing an opinion on the constitutionality of the appointment of the Prime Minister would be "deemed inappropriate." 

The Speaker's office, in a statement, said the Attorney General had given the opinion following an inquiry made by the Speaker on October 27 on the appointment of the new Prime Minister.

Legal experts who commented on the development said the letter was a major setback for President Maithripala Sirisena who appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister last Friday. 

"The Attorney General, the chief legal officer of the country, who is supposed to defend the actions of the President, has now officially washed his hands off, without expressing an opinion. That means he cannot justify or defend the President's appointment. It also means that the manner in which Rajapaksa was made the Prime Minister is not in accordance with the constitution," a source familiar with the matter said. 

This, the source said, also raises doubts whether the Attorney General was consulted by the President before sacking Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.