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Economic crisis in Sri Lanka: Demonstrators continue to call for the resignation of the government
STORY: For the sixth day in a row, people took to the streets on Friday here in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. They demanded the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and chanted “Gota, go home!” The island state is in the middle of an economic crisis, food and fuel are scarce. The reason is, among other things, a strong devaluation of the national currency, which made imports significantly more expensive. The country in the Indian Ocean is also repeatedly plagued by power failures. The police used tear gas and water cannons on the demonstrators. Opposition politicians said they were collecting signatures to launch a vote of no confidence in the government. The President, in turn, has indicated that resigning is out of the question for him, even though he only has a handful of ministers left. Just one day after the cabinet was dissolved, at least 41 MPs announced their withdrawal from the governing coalition on Tuesday. At the same time, the new finance minister, Ali Sabry, resigned – also just a day after his appointment and just ahead of important talks with the International Monetary Fund over a much-needed loan program. The opposition demanded the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Calls for a government of national unity have recently been raised – but the opposition and parts of the government have so far not wanted to hear anything about it.
On Friday, the police used water cannons and tear gas against the crowd. The President and his brother, the Prime Minister, have so far refused to withdraw.