Karu Jayasuriya, the Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament has compared the sacking of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe by President Maithripala Sirisena to a coup, albeit one without the use of tanks and guns. Jayasuriya also claimed that the "entire matter was pre-planned". Jayasuriya has refused to recognise Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister until he proves a majority in the Parliament.