The European Union has called for all parties to refrain from violence and act in accordance with Sri Lanka’s constitution.

Responding to the appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister in a statement released on Saturday, the heads of missions said,

Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena has suspended parliamentary sittings as ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe looks to prove majority in parliament according to emerging reports.

Families of the disappeared marked 600 days of protest in Vavuniya on October 15. 

Mothers and other relatives held a poosai (prayer) in memory of their disappeared loved ones.

In response to the developing situation in Sri Lanka, the US Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs called on all parties in Sri Lanka to refrain from violence and uphold its United Nations comments to human rights, reform, accountability, justice and reconciliation.

Reports are emerging from Colombo that Sri Lanka’s top police chief is in discussions with Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Sri Lankan President Sirisena’s appointment of Mahinda today as Prime Minister has sparked a constitutional crisis with Ranil Wickremesinghe insisting that he is legally and constitutionally still PM.

Reports have surfaced that the ITN television station premises in Colombo has been evacuated after Rajapaksa loyalists threatened the deputy general manager of the news and current affairs.

Further reports also emerged that a second TV station Rupavahini has been taken off air in Sri Lanka.

President Maithripala Sirisena has also allegedly ordered military protection to media institutions.

^{Photograph: @HarshadeSilvaMP}

Ranil Wickremsinghe claimed he was still the prime minister of Sri Lanka, just hours after the swearing in of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, as Sri Lanka plunges into a constitutional crisis.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, the former Sri Lankan strongman who led a massive military campaign that saw the deaths of tens of thousands of Tamils, was unexpectedly sworn in as Sri Lanka’s prime minister just hours ago. Wickremsinghe's UNP has reportedly called "all UNP MPs in and around Colombo who could make it to Temple Trees" for an urgent meeting that is currently underway.

Updated GMT 1750

Sri Lankan media have reported that Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who stands of accused of overseeing war crimes as tens of thousands of Tamils were massacred during 2009, is being sworn in as Sri Lanka’s prime minister.

The swearing in comes just minutes after the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by current president Maithripala Sirisena announced they would withdraw from the unity government, which has an alliance with the United National Party (UNP).

Britain’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka called for “timely elections” in Sri Lanka, after six out of the nine provincial councils on the island have had their term expire without any new voting.

“Many people will be disappointed that the term in office of a sixth of #SriLanka’s nine Provincial Councils has expired without voting for new representatives taking place or planned,” tweeted James Dauris.

The former head of Sri Lanka’s army has spoken out against paying reparations against those “who worked to divide the nation”, indicating that those who supported the LTTE would not receive any compensation.

Sri Lanka’s Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka called for the withdrawal of a United Nations resolution, which mandates for a hybrid accountability mechanism for international crimes.

Tamils in the North-East have continued clearing destroyed LTTE cemeteries - thuyilum illams - in preparation for Maaveerar Naal, the Tamil national remembrance day.

The former director of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) has been arrested today, over allegations that he was involved in a plot to kill current Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena and former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Deputy Inspector General Nalaka de Silva had been questioned for 5 days by Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) prior to his arrest.

The Sri Lankan Army continued with its series of trips to the Palaly military base for Tamil preschool children, despite criticism about intensifying militarisation of Tamil schools and preschools.