Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan lawmakers seek interim government to solve crisis
A group of Sri Lankan governing party lawmakers called Tuesday for the appointment of an interim government, warning that a failure to do so would lead to violence and anarchy, as demonstrators continued to demand the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the country’s worst economic crisis in decades.
The lawmakers urged the speaker of Parliament to lead discussions with all parties to select an interim prime minister with the support of a majority of legislators.
The largest opposition party, however, said it will not support any interim government and insisted that the president resign immediately.
Also read: Sri Lankan ruling party loses majority in parliament
“We must heed the voices in the streets. The government should go, starting from the president,” said Sajith Premadasa, leader of the United People’s Force, or SJB.
The SJB has 54 of Parliament's 225 seats. The governing coalition controlled nearly 150 seats before the current crisis, but is believed to have lost the support of some lawmakers.
Sri Lanka’s Cabinet resigned Sunday night after thousands of people defied a state of emergency and curfew and joined street protests denouncing the government.
The president and his older brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, continue to hold onto power, despite their politically powerful family being the focus of public ire.
For several months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy fuel, cooking gas, foods and medicine, most of which come from abroad. Shortages of hard currency have also hindered imports of raw materials for manufacturing and worsened inflation, which surged to 18.7% in March.
As oil prices soar during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the island nation's fuel stocks are running out. Authorities have announced countrywide power cuts extending up to 7 1/2 hours a day because they can’t supply enough fuel to power generating stations.
Parliament met Tuesday for the first time since protests flared earlier this month.
“The first condition to solve this problem is that this government has to leave. In its place there should be an interim government,” said lawmaker Wimal Weerawansa, a former member of Rajapaksa's Cabinet.
“We as members of the government and opposition have a responsibility to solve this problem. If not, there can be a bloodbath in this country,” said governing party lawmaker Wijayadasa Rajapakshe. “If that happens, you and all of us will be responsible.”
Both Weerawansa and Rajapakshe were elected on the governing party ticket but later opted to be independent of coalition instructions in voting.
During Tuesday’s session, nearly 40 governing coalition lawmakers said they would no longer vote according to coalition instructions, significantly weakening the government.
Lawmakers also asked the speaker on Tuesday to ensure their safety after irate protesters surrounded the homes of several governing party members on Monday shouting slogans and pelting stones.
Also read: Sri Lanka opposition rejects proposed unity government
Police barricaded the area around Parliament, where a few hundred protesters gathered holding placards and chanting “Return our stolen money."
“We have to get all the thieves out of Parliament,” said Devani Jayatilaka, one of the protesters. “The president has to go and there must be an audit into the assets of all the leaders.”
A group of lawyers staged a rally near Sri Lanka's main court complex and accused the attorney general of protecting corrupt politicians. Catholic priests and nuns also held a silent protest near the archbishop's house asking authorities to stop oppression and safeguard the rights of the people.
President Rajapaksa has assumed emergency powers which give him wide authority to protect public order, suppress mutinies, riots or civil disturbances or for the maintenance of essential supplies. Under the decree, the president can authorize detentions, seizure of property and search of premises. He can also change or suspend any law except the constitution.
On Monday, Rajapaksa invited all parties to join a unity government to resolve the crisis, but the SJB immediately rejected the proposal.
The extent of Sri Lanka's economic crisis became clear when it couldn’t pay for imports of basic supplies because of its huge debts and dwindling foreign reserves. The country’s usable reserves are said to be less than $400 million and it has nearly $7 billion in foreign debt obligations for this year alone.
The pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to an economy that depends heavily on tourism and trade, with the government estimating a loss of $14 billion over the last two years. The economy is estimated to have contracted by 1.5% in July-September 2021, according to the central bank.
The already dire economic crisis has deepened as oil prices have surged above $100 a barrel with the war in Ukraine. Vehicles are stranded with empty tanks, power cuts deprive students of study time for exams and shopping mall air conditioners are being switched off to conserve energy. Sri Lanka was already so short of hard currency that authorities ordered bans on imports of cars and fertilizer and appealed to the country’s expatriates to send money home to help restore its depleted foreign reserves.
Rajapaksa last month said his government was in talks with the International Monetary Fund and had turned to China and India for loans.
Two brothers of the president, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, were among the Cabinet members who resigned on Sunday, along with the prime minister’s son, Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa. Those resignations were seen as the family’s effort to pacify public anger while retaining executive, defense and lawmaking powers.
Don’t evaluate Bangladesh by Sri Lanka model: Mannan
Planning Minister MA Mannan has said it is wrong to evaluate Bangladesh by Sri Lanka model considering the country's economic development.
Bangladesh does not take unnecessary projects in any circumstances, he said.
The minister was briefing reporters after the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday.
Also read:Government agencies need to be friendly to business: MA Mannan
A total of 12 projects were approved at the meeting where the Ecnec chair Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined through video conferencing from Ganobhaban.
Mannan said the ECNEC has given final approval for 12 projects at a cost of Tk1,2016.88 crore. Of this, government funding is Tk 7,990.14 crore, foreign funding is Tk 3,000.39 crore and funding from its own source is Tk 594.43 crore.
Replying to a question he said “Considering the economic situation, do not compare Bangladesh with Sri Lanka. Some people are trying to do it. It is not right."
In response to a question whether unproductive projects are being taken in Bangladesh like Sri Lanka, the minister said, "We do not do unnecessary work. We do what is good for the people of the country. Sri Lanka and our context are not the same. Sri Lanka is our friend state. I will not comment on this.”
Also read:Lack of authentic data held back timely implementation of incentive package: MA Mannan
“We are researching, watching and listening. I repeat, the economy of Sri Lanka and the economy of Bangladesh are not the same,” Mannan added.
Sri Lankan ruling party loses majority in parliament
The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) lost parliament majority as 42 members of parliament (MPs) on Tuesday announced they would sit independently.
Also Read: Sri Lanka opposition rejects proposed unity government
Among the 42 MPs, 14 are from Sri Lanka Freedom Party, 10 belong to constituent parties of the government, and 12 are SLPP MPs, among others.
The ruling SLPP-led alliance won 146 seats in the 225-member parliament in the 2020 general election.
Also Read: Four ministers sworn into Sri Lanka's new cabinet
Sri Lanka opposition rejects proposed unity government
Sri Lanka's largest opposition party rejected the president's invitation to form a unity government, as protests continued Monday over the country's worst economic crisis in memory and deepening mistrust in his leadership.
All 26 Cabinet ministers handed in their resignations Sunday night after thousands of people defied a state of emergency and curfew and joined street protests denouncing the government.
A Monday statement from the office of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who assumed emergency powers by decree at midnight Friday, said he "invites all political parties represented in the Parliament to come together to accept ministerial portfolios in order to find solutions to this national crisis.”
The largest opposition political party, the United People’s Force, or SJB, immediately rejected the unity government proposal.
“The people of this country want Gotabaya and the entire Rajapaksa family to go and we can’t go against the people’s will and we can’t work alongside the corrupt,” top SJB official Ranjth Madduma Banadara told The Associated Press.
Also read: Four ministers sworn into Sri Lanka's new cabinet
SJB has 54 lawmakers in the 225-member Parliament. Its rejection of the president’s request is likely to result in continued uncertainty and protests, which were held throughout the country on Monday. A countrywide curfew was lifted Monday morning.
The president and his older brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, continued to hold onto power, despite their politically powerful family being the focus of public ire.
Two other brothers, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, were among those who resigned, along with the prime minister’s son, Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa. Those resignations were seen as the family's effort to pacify public anger while retaining executive, defense and lawmaking powers.
The Central Bank's top official, accused of economic mismanagement, also resigned Monday.
For several months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy fuel, cooking gas, foods and medicine, most of which come from abroad and are paid for in hard currency. The fuel shortage has caused rolling power cuts lasting several hours a day.
Also read: Sri Lankan president invites all political parties to form new gov't
The extent of the crisis became clear when Sri Lanka couldn’t pay for imports of basic supplies because of its huge debts and dwindling foreign reserves. The country’s usable foreign reserves are said to be less than $400 million, according to experts, and it has nearly $7 billion in foreign debt obligations for this year alone.
Meanwhile, a key ally of the president's ruling coalition withdrew support Monday, weakening his control in Parliament.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party — which comprised 14 out of the nearly 150 members of the ruling coalition — will act independently starting Tuesday, when the Parliament meets, party official Mahinda Amaraweera told reporters.
Police used a water cannon to disperse angry protesters who marched toward the Rajapaksa family home in southern Sri Lanka, demanding that they quit. Demonstrators shouting slogans also surrounded the homes of the resigning ministers and ruling party lawmakers in several parts of the country.
Rajapaksa’s emergency declaration gives him wide powers to protect public order, suppress mutinies, riots or civil disturbances or for the maintenance of essential supplies. Under the decree, the president can authorize detentions, seizure of property and search of premises. He can also change or suspend any law except the constitution.
The president on Monday swore in four temporary Cabinet ministers to continue the main governmental functions of foreign affairs and finance, and to help lead the ruling party's parliamentary group.
Sri Lankans, including professionals, students and families with small children, defied the emergency decree and curfew on Sunday to demand the president’s resignation.
“In this country it is so difficult,” said Inoma Fazil, a fashion designer who brought her 18-month-old daughter to a protest in the Colombo suburb of Rajagiriya on Sunday. “We don’t want to leave the country and go, and we want to give our child a good future, but everyone is stealing our money. So we came here for her and the rest of the children.”
Two new parents joined the rally directly from the hospital with their newborn. They were greeted with cheers by the protesters, who sang the national anthem and waved flags and placards.
For nearly 15 hours, authorities blocked access to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp and other social media platforms used to organize the protests.
Rajapaksa last month said his government was in talks with the International Monetary Fund and had turned to China and India for loans, and appealed to people to limit their use of fuel and electricity and “extend their support to the country.”
Four ministers sworn into Sri Lanka's new cabinet
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday swore in four ministers into the new cabinet, hours after cabinet ministers tendered their resignations amidst a severe economic and political crisis in the nation.
Officials from the President's Office said that former Justice Minister Ali Sabry was sworn in as the new finance minister while G.L. Peiris was sworn in as the foreign minister, Dinesh Gunawardena as the education minister and Johnston Fernando as the highways minister.
Also Read: Sri Lankan president invites all political parties to form new gov't
More ministers will be sworn into the cabinet in the coming days if the opposition parties agree to form a united government, government officials said.
Sri Lanka has for days been facing public protests calling for immediate measures to be taken by the government to solve the economic crisis, hours-long power cuts and shortages in fuel and other essential supplies.
Sri Lanka's cabinet ministers offered to resign from their positions on Sunday night in response to calls from increasing protests amid economic instability and a severe fuel shortage in the South Asian country.
On Monday, President Rajapaksa extended an invitation to all political parties to join the government to find solutions to the ongoing crisis.
Also Read: Sri Lanka's sports minister quits, Cabinet offers to resign
Sri Lanka's sports minister quits, Cabinet offers to resign
Sri Lanka's sports minister and the president's nephew, Namal Rajapaksa, has resigned from his position amid growing public outrage over the country's economic crisis and shortages of food, fuel and medicines.
The entire Sri Lankan Cabinet also has handed over letters to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa offering to resign from their positions due to the economic crisis in the country, Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told reporters late Sunday.
“I have informed the secretary to the president of my resignation from all portfolios with immediate effect...,” Namal Rajapaksa tweeted, saying he hopes his decision helps President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is his father, in establishing stability for the people and the government.
Read:Sri Lanka's cabinet ministers resign en masse as crisis protesters defy curfew
Namal also held the portfolio of youth affairs.
Gunawardena said the president and the prime minister will take appropriate action on the Cabinet's offer to resign.
Government coalition parties are demanding that a caretaker Cabinet be appointed to pull the country out of the crisis.
The actions appear to be efforts to pacify the people, who are protesting countrywide to hold the president and the entire Rajapaksa family responsible.
Sri Lanka's political power is concentrated in the Rajapaksa family. In addition to brothers being president and prime minister, two other brothers are ministers of finance and irrigation. Namal was also a Cabinet minister until he resigned.
On Sunday, Sri Lankan professionals, students and even mothers with small children defied an emergency decree and curfew to demand the president's resignation.
Police fired tear gas and water canons at hundreds of university students who were trying to break through barricades near the town of Kandy in the tea growing region. Near Colombo, students demonstrated and dispersed while armed soldiers and police stopped opposition lawmakers from marching to the iconic Independence Square.
“This is unconstitutional,” opposition leader Sajith Premadasa told the troops who blocked their path. “You are violating the law. Please think of the people who are suffering. Why are you protecting a government like this?”
For several months, Sri Lankans have endured long lines to buy fuel, foods and medicines, most of which comes from abroad and is paid for in hard currency. The first to disappear from shops was milk powder and cooking gas, followed by a fuel shortage disrupting transport and causing rolling power cuts lasting several hours a day at the end of February.
The extent of the crisis became clear when Sri Lanka couldn’t pay for imports of basic supplies because of its huge debts and dwindling foreign reserves. The country's usable foreign reserves are said to be less that $400 million, according to experts, and it has nearly $7 billion in foreign debt obligations for this year alone.
Rajapaksa last month said his government was in talks with the International Monetary Fund and turned to China and India for loans while he appealed to people to limit the use of fuel and electricity and “extend their support to the country.”
As protests grew and calls increased for him to step down, Rajapaksa doubled down and at midnight Friday assumed emergency powers by decree. The government also declared a countrywide curfew until Monday morning.
It did little to quell the anger of thousands, many first-time protesters, who felt fed up and exhausted by the crisis.
“In this country it is so difficult,” said Inoma Fazil, a fashion designer who brought her 18-month-old daughter to a protest in Rajagiriya, a Colombo suburb. "We don’t want to leave the country and go, and we want to give our child a good future, but everyone is stealing our money. So we came here for her and the rest of the children.”
A couple joined the same rally straight from the hospital with their newborn, and were greeted with cheers by the protesters who sang Sri Lanka’s national anthem, waved flags and placards.
While public resentment is mostly on the Rajapaksa family, anger was also directed at politicians in general and a decades-long system that many feel has betrayed them.
At the Colombo rally, protesters turned back an opposition lawmaker, calling out “no politicians!”
“The main purpose of the curfew is to quell dissent against the government,” said Christopher Stephen, a construction businessman who held placards in the main road near his home.
Stephen said he and his circle of friends and acquaintances had protested every day since early March, and he was excited that more people were joining in.
“What the Rajapaksas have been doing all these years was to divide the people along ethnic and religious lines. But this has united all Sri Lankans — Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers — all want them out," Stephen said, referring to the president and his powerful family.
Read:Sri Lanka blocks social media amid calls for more protests
Aman Ashraff, an advertising professional who was protesting in his neighborhood, said Sri Lanka has squandered the opportunity to optimize its potential after ending a decades-long civil war in 2009 because of misgovernance.
“This is the turn for the people to rise up and show that they are not going to tolerate the sort of corruption, the sort of greed and the sort of self-centered governance any further,” he said.
On Sunday, authorities blocked access for nearly 15 hours to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp and other social media platforms that were used to organize protests.
The emergency declaration by Rajapaksa gives him wide powers to preserve public order, suppress mutiny, riot or civil disturbances or for the maintenance of essential supplies. Under the decree, the president can authorize detentions, seizure of property and search of premises. He can also change or suspend any law except the constitution.
The European Union urged Sri Lanka’s government to safeguard the “democratic rights of all concerns, including right to free assembly and dissent, which has to be peaceful.”
U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung said “Sri Lankans have a right to protest peacefully — essential for democratic expression.”
“I am watching the situation closely and hope the coming days bring restraint from all sides, as well as much needed economic stability and relief for those suffering,” she said in a tweet on Saturday.
Sri Lanka wants Bangladeshi investment in tourism, agriculture sector
Sri Lanka is keen to attract investment of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in the tourism and agriculture sector to enhance foreign investment in the island state.
Sri Lankan High Commissioner Sudharshan Seneviratne expressed the interest in a courtesy call on the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industries (FBCCI) president Md. Jashim Uddin on Sunday.
Read:People getting benefits of tax reduction on commodities: Commerce Minister
Speaking at the meeting at the FBCCI office, the envoy said his country is offering attractive incentives for foreign investors, including tax holidays. Bangladeshi entrepreneurs can benefit by investing in huge uncultivated land in Sri Lanka.
The Ambassador also sought Bangladesh's cooperation in the development of tourism and shipping.
He said the Colombo port now has four harbors and is equipped with more modern facilities.
In response, the FBCCI president Md. Jashim Uddin said a free trade agreement between the two countries would make it easier to increase bilateral trade and investment.
“Urging to increase regional trade, the President said that most of Bangladesh's trade is with the United States and the European Union. But it is more profitable to do business with neighboring countries,” he said.
Referring to the huge volume of trade in NAFTA and ASEAN, the President said that if SAFTA was implemented, the development of SAARC countries would have been accelerated, he said.
The FBCCI President also emphasized the importance of cooperation in the energy sector among the SAARC countries.
Read:BGMEA for inclusion of more transgender people into mainstream economy
During the meeting, FBCCI Director Priti Chakraborty called for joint initiatives on nursing training between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
FBCCI Vice President Habib Ullah Dawn, Director Shomi Kaiser, Dr. Nadia Binte Amin and Secretary General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque, among others, were present in the meeting.
Protests over shortages roil Sri Lanka despite curfew
Opposition lawmakers and people angered by the government's handling of Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis on Sunday marched to denounce the president's move to impose a nationwide curfew and state of emergency, as protests over food and fuel shortages swelled.
Internet users were unable to access Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp and other social media platforms for nearly 15 hours on Sunday after authorities blocked access.
Apparently due to the growing criticism, access to social media was later restored. The platforms have been used to organize protests calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign, saying he is responsible for the country’s deepening economic woes.
Also read: Sri Lanka blocks social media amid calls for more protests
Sri Lanka is under a nationwide curfew until Monday morning after Rajapaksa assumed emergency powers at midnight Friday. More protests were taking place throughout the country on Sunday as anger over people waiting in long lines for essential foods, fuel and hourslong rotating power cuts boiled over.
Facebook posts showed crowds of young people shouting anti-government slogans and singing songs.
The emergency declaration by Rajapaksa gives him wide powers to preserve public order, suppress mutiny, riot or civil disturbances or for the maintenance of essential supplies. Under the decree, the president can authorize detentions, seizure of property and search of premises. He can also change or suspend any law except the constitution.
In the capital, the lawmakers marched toward Colombo's main square, shouting slogans and carrying placards that read “Stop Suppression” and “Gota go home.” Gota is a shortened version of the president's first name.
Armed soldiers and police officers set up barricades on the road leading to the square, which was built to commemorate the country's independence from Britain in 1948.
Also read: Sri Lanka imposes 36-hour curfew under state of emergency
“This is unconstitutional," opposition leader Sajith Premadasa told troops who prevented the lawmakers from walking to the square. "You are violating the law. Please think of the people who are suffering. Why are you protecting a government like this?”
Another lawmaker, Nalin Bandara, said: “How long can they rule under emergency? The first instance when the curfew is lifted, people are going to be back on the streets."
Sri Lanka faces huge debt obligations and dwindling foreign reserves, and its struggle to pay for imports has caused a lack of basic supplies. People wait in long lines for gas, and power is cut for several hours daily because there’s not enough fuel to operate power plants and dry weather has sapped hydropower capacity.
The island nation’s economic woes are blamed on a failure of successive governments to diversify exports, instead relying on traditional cash sources like tea, garments and tourism, and on a culture of consuming imported goods.
The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the economy with the government estimating a loss of $14 billion in the last two years. Protesters also point to mismanagement — Sri Lanka has immense foreign debt after borrowing heavily on projects that don’t earn money. Its foreign debt repayment obligations are around $7 billion for this year alone.
The crisis has hit people from all walks of life. Middle class professionals and business people who would normally not take part in street protests have been holding nightly rallies with candles and placards in many parts of the country.
Sri Lanka blocks social media amid calls for more protests
Sri Lanka has blocked access to many social media platforms in an attempt to prevent further protests blaming the government for the worsening economic crisis.
Internet users in most parts of Sri Lanka were unable to access Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp and other social media platforms on Sunday. Netblocks, a global internet monitor, confirmed that network data collected from over 100 vantage points across Sri Lanka showed the restrictions coming into effect across multiple providers from midnight.
Sri Lanka is under a nationwide curfew from Saturday night until Monday morning after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency. Social media platforms had been used to call for protests demanding the president's resignation, saying he is responsible for the economic crisis.
Rajapaksa assumed emergency powers at midnight Friday amid calls for protests throughout the country on Sunday, as anger over shortages of essential foods, fuel and long power cuts boiled over this week.
READ: Sri Lanka’s president declares emergency amid protests
The emergency declaration by Rajapaksa gives him wide powers to preserve public order, suppress mutiny, riot or civil disturbances or for the maintenance of essential supplies. Under the emergency, the president can authorize detentions, seizure of property and search of premises. He can also change or suspend any law except the constitution.
Sri Lanka faces huge debt obligations and dwindling foreign reserves, and its struggle to pay for imports has caused a lack of basic supplies. People wait in long lines for gas, and power is cut for several hours daily because there’s not enough fuel to operate power plants and dry weather has sapped hydropower capacity.
The island nation’s economic woes are blamed on a failure of successive governments to diversify exports, instead relying on traditional cash sources like tea, garments and tourism, and on a culture of consuming imported goods.
The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the economy with the government estimating a loss of $14 billion in the last two years. Protesters also point to mismanagement — Sri Lanka has immense foreign debt after borrowing heavily on projects that don’t earn money. Its foreign debt repayment obligations are around $7 billion for this year alone.
The crisis has hit people from all walks of life. Middle class professionals and business people who would normally not take part in street protests have been holding nightly rallies with candles and placards in many parts of the country.
Sri Lanka imposes 36-hour curfew under state of emergency
Sri Lanka declared an islandwide curfew from 6 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Monday as the country faced a severe power crisis and rising inflation.
On Friday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued the Extraordinary Gazette declaring a state of public emergency in Sri Lanka with immediate effect.
READ: Sri Lanka’s president declares emergency amid protests
Rajapaksa said the emergency was declared in the interests of public security, protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community.
A protest has been planned via social media for Sunday.