Sri Lankan government loses majority

Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party has demonstrated against Kumaratunga for shutting down parliament in August to avoid defeat

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- At least seven lawmakers defected from Sri Lanka's ruling coalition government on Wednesday, a day before a no-confidence motion was to be debated in parliament.

The defections mean that President Chandrika Kumaratunga's government has lost its majority, increasing speculation parliament will be dissolved.

The defections leave the ruling Peoples' Alliance coalition and its allies with a combined total of 112 seats in the 225-member house.

The speaker does not normally vote, and he is a member of the main opposition United National Party.

Parliament can be dissolved from October 10, one year after it was elected.

The government had been confident of defending the no-confident motion.

Sri Lanka was plunged into turmoil in June when a ruling coalition ally crossed the floor.

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Kumaratunga shut down parliament until September.

Then, through a number of deals and last minute negotiations the People's Alliance managed to maintain a slim majority but the latest defections have returned the South Asian nation to political uncertain.

In the past year, the country has stumbled from one crisis to another with an escalating ethnic war claiming lives every day and putting the skids under a tottering economy.

Reuters contributed to this report.