Colombo, Sri Lanka – The three men at the heart of Sri Lanka’s weeks-long power struggle have held direct talks for the first time since the crisis erupted, but their meeting failed to reach a breakthrough, according to officials.

President Maithripala Sirisena called for the talks days after several parliamentary votes on a no-confidence motion against his newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa descended into chaos, with angry politicians hurling chilli paste, chairs and books at legislators backing Ranil Wickremsinghe, the deposed leader.

Joined by members of their parties, the president and the two rival prime ministers met on Sunday for more than two hours at the president’s office in the capital, Colombo, but did not appear to shift from their previous positions on the no-confidence vote.

Both Sirisena and Rajapaksa have rejected the outcome of the voice votes, in which 122 legislators in the the 225-member House voted against the latter, claiming the speaker had failed to follow proper procedures.

Supporters of Wickremesinghe, however, accuse pro-Rajapaksa politicians of disrupting proceedings in a bid to block the votes. 

Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s meeting, Lakshman Kiriella, a legislator from Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP), said the party told the president “we can show majority again”, but he “showed no interest”. 

Sirisena, in a statement after the meeting, said he would only accept a no-confidence motion if a vote was “taken by name of members or by electronic voting”.

A voice vote, though technically legal, was not acceptable on such an important matter as it lacked transparency, he added.

He also said all parties had agreed that future parliamentary proceedings will be “conducted peacefully”.

‘Drag impasse’

Harsha de Silva, another UNP lesgislator, in a post on Twitter said Sirisena was giving “lame excuses of procedure” to “drag impasse along”.

No breakthrough at so called all party meeting with Pres @MaithripalaS now. They want to drag impasse along giving lame excuses of procedure as #FakePM does NOT have 113. What a damn shame, taking #SriLanka down for your political survival. Go, MR Go. For Gods sake Go! #CoupLK pic.twitter.com/ef1cKJU7aP

— Harsha de Silva (@HarshadeSilvaMP) November 18, 2018

A source close to the president said Sirisena, who has repeatedly pledged not to accept Wickremesinghe as prime minister again, was “frosty” towards the deposed leader, but cordial to others.

Some legislators at the meeting had suggested the pair meet for direct talks alone, but the president refused, the source added.

Relations between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe, who joined forces to defeat Rajapaksa in a 2015 presidential election, soured amid disagreements over government administration, economic reform and an alleged assassination plot against the president.

The tensions boiled over on October 26, when Sirisena fired Wickremesinghe in a move widely denounced as unconstitutional, and replaced him with Rajapaksa, a controversial former president accused of corruption and human rights abuses.

The president then dissolved parliament and called for snap elections in January, but the Supreme Court suspended that order until it delivered a verdict in the case on December 7, allowing the legislature to reconvene on November 14.

Snap elections

Namal Rajapaksa, the former president’s son and a legislator, in a Twitter post on Sunday said he was “disappointed” that talks had ended inconclusively.

He added: “We reiterate our call for a general election so that people can decide who should be their government.”

Chandani Kirinde, a Colombo-based journalist, said she believes Sirisena’s strategy was to “drag this on till December 7, hoping the Supreme Court upholds the dissolution of parliament”.

The crisis was unlikely to get resolved when parliament meets again on Monday, she said in a Twitter post. 

Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, a Colombo-based political analyst, said the leaders’ failure to break the stalemate on Sunday showed that the gulf between the opposing sides had “only widened”.

“Both sides are not in a position to back down, with the president insisting that due process had not been followed in presenting the no-confidence motions – this shows that he is not ready to appoint Wickremesinghe as prime minister,” he said.

Asanga Welikala, a Sri Lankan law professor at the University of Edinburgh, blamed the talks’ failure on Sirisena, saying the president “seems to be totally oblivious to the massive damage” he was doing to Sri Lanka because of his “personal issues” with Wickremesinghe.

The protracted crisis was straining the country’s struggling economy, affecting tourism and foreign aid, he said.

“The president has repeatedly violated the constitution, and so far he’s refusing to be checked by parliament or moderate his behaviour in the face of a rebuke by the Supreme Court,” Welikala said, warning that Sirisena’s actions were “disastrous” for the country’s democracy.

Rathindra Kuruwita reported from Colombo. Zaheena Rasheed reported and wrote from Doha

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Cannons blasted the balmy air of Male with a 21-gun salute on Saturday, just moments after Ibrahim Mohamed Solih finished taking the oath of office as the seventh president of the Maldives.

It was a momentous occasion, one that capped a tense, months-long presidential contest, and a subsequent period of post-election uncertainty following years of political turmoil in the small Indian Ocean island nation.

In a shock result, Solih, a 54-year-old veteran legislator, defeated Abdulla Yameen in the September 23 polls, held against widespread public anger over corruption and rights abuses, including the jailing of nearly all opposition leaders.

In his inaugural address, delivered before thousands of people at the national football stadium in the capital, Solih vowed to establish justice and tackle corruption.

Still, he faces an uphill battle to restore stability and push through democratic and economic reforms.

Here, Al Jazeera takes a look at five of his biggest challenges:

Chinese debt

In his speech, Solih said the Maldives was “in a precarious financial situation” owing to “reckless development projects”, and appealed for help from foreign countries and international organisations to stabilise the economy.

Under Yameen, Beijing had loaned an estimated $1.5bn to the Maldives to fund an upgrade of the country’s main international airport – a bridge linking it to Male – as well as massive housing projects in a new population centre. 

The debt figure is more than a quarter of the country’s annual gross domestic product. 

In March, the US-based Centre for Global Development in March identified the Maldives as one of eight countries subject to high debt distress because of investments from China.

Ibrahim Ameer, Solih’s choice for the crucial post of finance minister, told Al Jazeera on Sunday he was “worried” about the debt and said the country needs up to $300m in budgetary support straightaway. The Maldives was now in talks with India, the United States and Saudi Arabia for assistance, the newly appointed minister said.

Meanwhile, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was among the 300 foreign dignitaries to attend Solih’s inauguration on his first visit to the country, has already pledged help.

Unwieldy coalition

Solih joined the presidential race at the eleventh hour after receiving the backing of a coalition of four political parties, whose leaders were either in jail or exile. Among them were former presidents, Mohamed Nasheed and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, as well as tourism tycoon Qasim Ibrahim, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency twice before.

Despite joining forces, the four parties have significant ideological differences and their leaders have clashed fiercely for more than a decade.

In 2008, Nasheed and Qasim formed an alliance to end Gayoom’s 30-year rule in the country’s first multi-party election. Their coalition, however, fell apart less than 100 days into Nasheed’s rule. 

Qasim then teamed up with Gayoom in 2012 to oust Nasheed, in what the latter labelled a coup. 

“You cannot run an executive presidency as a coalition government,” said Ahmed Nihan, an opposition legislator and close aide to Yameen, the former president.

“The ministers will not obey the president, they are likely to follow their leaders,” he said, referring to the division of cabinet posts among the coalition partners.

“This is all going to end in chaos.”

However, describing the new president as “patient” and a “good listener”, Nihan added: “If there is one politician who can hold a coalition together, it is Solih.”

Accountability for corruption and rights abuses

Solih ran for the presidency promising to investigate alleged human rights abuses and corruption under Yameen, including the jailing of dissidents, murders, disappearances, and the theft of at least $79m from tourism revenues, a scam that was the subject of the 2016 Al Jazeera investigation Stealing Paradise.

A money-laundering body meanwhile reported Yameen had received $1.5m in cash ahead of September’s election.

Solih, at his oath-taking ceremony, pledged to disclose the findings from such investigations so that the Maldives could “move ahead as a nation”.

Mariyam Shiuna, executive director at Transparency Maldives, an anti-corruption group, welcomed Solih’s pledges, but said “this will prove to be a huge challenge as a lot of officials accused of corruption and rights abuses continue to be part of the system”.

Politicians from across the spectrum and powerful business leaders had benefitted from alleged corruption under Yameen, she said, including the tourism scam in which dozens of coral islands were leased for tourism development at knock-off prices.

There were worries about “selective justice”, she said, while also acknowledging the investigations could risk instability.

Reforming judiciary

Of the many challenges facing his new administration, Solih in his inaugural address identified reforms to ensure judicial independence as its “highest priority area”.

Judges in the Maldives are widely perceived as corrupt, unqualified and subject to external influence.

That’s because dozens of people – including Nasheed, Gayoom and Qasim, as well as two ex-defence ministers, two Supreme Court judges and a top prosecutor – were jailed under Yameen after trials that were widely condemned as politically motivated.

On the other hand, very few suspects accused of crime, including murders, are successfully prosecuted. Such trials are often held behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, an estimated quarter of the country’s 183 judges have criminal records, according to the US State Department. Many do not hold law degrees and cannot interpret common law or Islamic law because they do not have the required English and Arabic skills.

Shahindha Ismail, executive director of the human rights NGO Maldivian Democracy Network, said reforming the judiciary must be “a top priority” to ensure justice for past corruption and rights abuses. But there were concerns, she warned, of how willing some politicians in the ruling coalition may be to cede control over judges.

Religious violence

The Maldives, a Sunni Muslim state, has witnessed a surge in attacks motivated by religion in the past decade, including the killing of liberal blogger Yameen Rasheed and Afrasheem Ali, a moderate Islamic scholar and member of parliament, as well as the disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan.

Solih has pledged to investigate the cases.

Meanwhile, scores of young Maldivians have left the country to fight with armed groups in the Middle East, including Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL).

Mohamed Hameed, a former police intelligence chief, said the flow of Maldivians to the Middle East has abated as ISIL and other groups lost territory in Iraq and Syria, but added that the country was facing the “huge security challenge” of  highly-trained fighters coming back home.

“Even in cases where returnees suspected of violent acts have been arrested, there has been no successful prosecutions, and there are no programmes to counter narratives that promote violence,” said Hameed.

Liberal voices have meanwhile reported receiving death threats for their advocacy for freedom of belief and, under Yameen, they were frequently targeted by the police for their calls for a secular state as well as criticism of religious violence. 

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott will be the next senator from Florida after two rounds of recounts finalized his razor-thin victory over Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, who called the governor to concede Sunday.

Nelson’s political career now comes to a likely end after four decades in various elected posts.

Story Continued Below

Scott’s lead after the Nov. 6 general election was just over 12,000 votes, a number that shrank to roughly 10,000 after a machine and hand recount. Always trailing by a thin margin, the Nelson campaign had filed a stream of lawsuits that it predicted would produce thousands of additional votes for the three-term senator.

But those efforts failed, and Nelson is now set to address the media at 3 p.m. He called Scott to officially concede shortly after 2 p.m.

Scott put more than $50 million of his own money into the race, giving his campaign a significant financial advantage over Nelson.

Republicans have been quick to point out that roughly $50 million from outside Democratic groups was poured into defeating Scott in the closely watched race. On the other side, outside Democratic groups spent about $20 million to try and save the party’s lone hold on power in a third-biggest state in the nation.

The defeat represents the loss of the de facto head of the Florida Democratic Party, the title Nelson wore because he was the party’s only statewide elected official. Newly-elected Democratic Agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried is the party’s only statewide elected official.

Her race also went through two rounds of recounts, but she ultimately beat Republican state Rep. Matt Caldwell by more than 6,700 votes. Fried was losing slightly after election night, but unlike Nelson took the lead after ballots were recounted.

“To everyone who put their lives on hold and worked to see the recount process through, to protect the integrity of our democracy – thank you,” Fried tweeted shortly after the manual recount was completed at noon on Sunday. “I’m honored to serve as your next Commissioner of Agriculture. Now, we come together and work in union to govern for the people of Florida.”

Though Nelson’s loss is a gut punch for Democrats, getting a foothold in the Florida Cabinet, which has been completely Republican held for eight years, offers something of a silver lining. The Cabinet includes the governor, the agriculture commissioner, CFO and attorney general.

In another significant state-level race that went to a manual recount, outgoing state House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz knocked off Republican state Sen. Dana Young by just 411 votes, or .2 percent. The race was the most expensive 2018 state Senate race.

Two Florida House races also went to recounts. In Daytona Beach’s House District 26, Republican Elizabeth Fetterhoff beat Democratic state Rep. Patrick Henry 50.05-49.95; and in Palm Beach County’s House District 89, Republican Mike Caruso beat Democrat Jim Bonfiglio.

Image: Aytac Unal/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Refugees and migrants refusing to leave a cargo boat in a Libyan port are pleading to be taken to Europe, saying they are prepared to die than be returned to detention in the North African country.

As the standoff with Libyan authorities in Misrata entered its ninth day, two of those on board said on Sunday it was too dangerous to go back to Libyan detention centres, where they risk being abused and sold to people smugglers while having little hope of being evacuated.

“All people are saying now we don’t want to go outside until we die here,” Kai, an 18-year-old from South Sudan, told Al Jazeera on the phone.

The refugees and migrants were brought to Misrata on November 10, four days after setting sail in a rubber boat with the hope of reaching Italy.

Daniel, a 16-year-old from South Sudan, said the rubber boat had travelled almost 200km before the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship, The Nivin, crossed its path.

Both Kai and Daniel said the crew on board The Nivin told them they would be taken to Italy, but instead brought them to Misrata.

“We see Malta and they brought us back. All of us we entered into the international waters and they bring us back,” said Kai.

“Why would they bring us back; they know we die here. Why they bring us back here?”

After discussions with humanitarian organisations, some of those on board the docked ship agreed to disembark, including women and an infant child. According to Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity known by its French initials, MSF, there are now 77 people on board, 28 of whom are under 18.

Kai said they come from various countries, including Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Bangladesh. Many are sick and injured, after being burned with oil from the rubber boat they were travelling in, he added.

Paula Barrachina Esteban, spokesperson for the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR), said the world body is providing humanitarian aid to those on The Nivin.

“At the moment, we’re just advocating for a solution to be found and discussing with the relevant authorities,” said Esteban.

The refugees and migrants are being given food and water, but Kai said the biggest immediate problem is the ship’s lack of toilets and bathrooms. As a result, Kai said they are forced to urinate in bottles.

Both teenagers on the ship said Libyan authorities have threatened to force them out of the ship.

“They tell us if you don’t want to go outside, we will take you outside by force; they say we will burn the ship,” said Kai.

“The police are outside,” added Daniel. “We are frightened.”

‘People are exhausted’

Kai said he escaped to Libya with his brother after his parents disappeared during South Sudan’s war in 2013. 

In Libya, Kai said his brother was killed by people smugglers in Beni Walid, known as the “ghost city” by refugees and migrants, after not being able to meet their demand for a $1,000 ransom payment.

Kai said this year he spent seven months in Ain Zara detention centre in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, after being caught by the Libyan coastguard attempting to cross into Italy.

He said there was too little food in the detention centre and he had no hopes of being evacuated or resettled. While escaping in July, he said the guards opened fire but he and several other detainees managed to get away safely.

After another attempt to cross the Mediterranean in September, he said was locked in detention in Khoms, where he stayed for a month before escaping again.

“Some people have [spent] nine months, one year inside the jail,” said Kai.

While many on board said they had survived torture by human traffickers in Libya, some also had stories about serious abuses in official detention centres. A third man on board The Nivin told Al Jazeera he had witnessed fellow detainees being shot and killed while escaping an official Libyan detention centre.

Al Jazeera has previously heard reports of deaths in detention centres run by the Libyan Department for Combatting Illegal Migration (DCIM). 

DCIM has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

In Triq al Sikka, a 28-year-old Somali man burned himself to death in October, after saying to fellow detainees he felt hopeless about his changes of evacuation. In Zintan detention centre, detainees say five people have died since mid-September, most recently a 19-year-old Eritrean.

“We’re very saddened about any death in a detention centre of UNHCR people of concern – reasons why we advocate for alternatives for detention to be found,” said Esteban.

“Sometimes, we provide on a purely humanitarian basis support to deal with the bodies of the deceased, but they’re under the custody of the Libyan authorities.”

Julian Raickman, the head of the MSF mission in Libya, called for those on board the docked ship – and other refugees and migrants – to not be sent to detention.

“People are exhausted, they don’t want to go to those detention centres,” she said.

“I can understand as a human, and we strongly believe that we, as a humanitarian community, should work together in order to find another solution for these people than detention.

“This concerns these people on the boat but also more broadly the situation of all migrants in Libya.”