<span style="color: #222222;">Sri Lankan parliament on Wednesday passed a motion expressing confidence in Ranil Wickremesinghe to function as the Prime Minister and forwarded it to President for action. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The motion was passed with a parliamentary majority of 117 members present and voting in the 225-member parliament. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The United National Party (UNP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) voted in favour of the motion as MPs supporting Mahinda Rajapaksa continued to boycott the parliament. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mr. Rajapaksa side said, they will not accept anything done and said in an illegal and undemocratic parliament adding anything passed in it is null and void. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Ranil Wickremesinghe, thanking the MPs, stated that everyone should act respecting the constitution and that the constitution is the prime law of the country. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mr. Wickremsinghe said, he is committed to a political solution without dividing the country and pledged to abolish executive presidency.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Speaker Karu Jaysurya forwarded the motion to President Maithripala Sirisena saying it has passed in accordance with standing orders of parliament. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The motion assumes significance as President Sirisena has repeatedly refused to reappoint Mr. Wickremsinghe as PM. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Meanwhile, the decision of the Supreme Court on the decision to dissolve parliament is still awaited. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The court heard the matter last week and a decision is expected by Friday. The court will hear on Friday an appeal petition filed by Mr. Rajapaksa challenging an interim order of lower court restraining his cabinet from functioning. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">There has been a flurry of petitions filed in the court during the past few weeks related to the political crisis. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">A petition has been filed against President's reported attempt to seek an early decision on dissolution issue while another has challenged Mr. Wickremsinghe right to be an MP.</span><br />