Sri Lanka is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in history. With long lines for fuel, cooking gas, essentials in short supply and long hours of power cuts the public has been suffering for week
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa leaves after addressing parliament during the ceremonial inauguration of the session, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. AP File
Sri Lanka’s former president Maithripala Sirisena’s Freedom Party has called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to form an all-party government to tide over the worst economic crisis in the island nation and said that it may leave the alliance if its request was ignored. This comes hours after Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency in the island nation late Friday night.
Sri Lanka is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in history. With long lines for fuel, cooking gas, essentials in short supply and long hours of power cuts the public has been suffering for weeks.
Party’s general secretary and a state minister Dayasiri Jayasekera said that the Central Committee decided on Friday to urge for the formation of a government representing all parties in Parliament.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) with 14 Members of Parliament is the largest group within the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) ruling coalition. Sirisena is SLPP chair but he is not a minister.
“We have entrusted the party leaders to take a decision as to whether the SLFP would leave the government if the government ignored our request to form an all-party government,” Jayasekera said.
The SLPP coalition, an alliance of 11 parties, has been in trouble recently.
Two of the 11 party leaders were sacked as Cabinet ministers while another Cabinet member has joined them in criticising the government’s handling of the economic crisis.
President declares public emergency
Sri Lanka’s president declared a state of emergency in the island nation Friday, a day after angry protesters demonstrated near his home demanding he resign and as plans were made for a nationwide protest over the country’s worst economic crisis in memory.
On Thursday night, a large demonstration opposite the private residence of Rajapaksa led to mass scale arrests. They held placards calling ‘Gota go home’, blaming him for the hardships.
Rajapaksa’s office blamed “organized extremists” within the thousands of protesters for violence during Thursday night’s demonstration, where police fired tear gas and a water cannon and arrested 54 people. Dozens of other people were also injured.
People chanted “lunatic, lunatic, go home”, before police fired tear gas and used water cannon.
A Sri Lankan man shouts anti government slogans during a protest outside Sri Lankan president’s private residence on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka. AP
The crowd turned violent, setting ablaze two military buses, a police jeep and other vehicles, and threw bricks at officers.
Police arrested 53 protesters and 21 of them were released on bail on Friday night, court officials said. Others were still being detained but had yet to be charged.
In view of the protests, the President declared a nationwide public emergency with immediate effect from 1 April, 2022.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa invoked sections of the Public Security Ordinance, which gives him authority to make regulations in the interests of public security, preservation of public order, suppression of mutiny, riot or civil commotion or for the maintenance of essential supplies.
Under the emergency regulations the president can authorize detentions, taking possession of any property and search any premises. He can also change or suspend any law.
Rajapaksa has defended his government’s actions, saying the foreign exchange crisis was not his making and the economic downturn was largely pandemic driven where the island’s tourism revenue and inward remittances waning.
The emergency laws came ahead of planned anti-government protests on Sunday, when activists on social media have been urging people to demonstrate outside their homes.
India sends aid
Indian traders have started loading 40,000 tonnes of rice for prompt shipment to Sri Lanka in the first major food aid since Colombo secured a credit line from New Delhi, two officials told Reuters on Saturday.
Indian Oil Corporation PLC supplied 6,000 MT of fuel to the Ceylon Electricity Board on Saturday, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said.
The economic crisis
The South Asian nation of 22 million is facing severe shortages of essentials, sharp price rises and crippling power cuts in its most painful downturn since independence from Britain in 1948.
The coronavirus pandemic torpedoed tourism and remittances, both vital to the economy, and authorities imposed a broad import ban in an attempt to save foreign currency.
Many economists also say the crisis has been exacerbated by government mismanagement, years of accumulated borrowing, and ill-advised tax cuts.
With inputs from agencies
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