Colombo, (Samajweekly) Despite mounting pressure both within and outside the government, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday reiterated that he would stick to the premiership.
Addressing a group of Provincial council members of his party, Rajapaksa said: “Don’t be afraid I would not give up.” Provincial Council (PC) system was a result of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord signed in July 1987, between India’s former PM Rajiv Gandhi and Lanka President J.R. Jayewardene to resolve country’s civil war between majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil rebels. PC members passed a resolution urging Mr Rajapaksa not to give up power.
As Mahinda, elder brother of President Gotabaya was strongly resolute not to leave his seat, protestors surrounded his official residence “Temple Trees” blocking the main entrance on Tuesday.
As the ‘political people’s movement continued to block President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office, Presidential Secretariate chasing him away to a safer whereabouts since April 2, both MPs from opposition and the government have been urging to form an all-party interim government until the constitutional deadlock is over.
Mahinda demands forming of an interim government only under his premiership and insisted
getting back to 19th Amendment to the Constitution acquiring his younger brother, Gotabaya’s super powers which he won with the passing of 20th Amendment.
However, amidst soaring dollar crisis leading to lack of basic essentials such as fuel, gas, food, medicine and fertiliser, people are on the streets demanding the government to step down.
On Tuesday, the World Bank team in Colombo met President Rajapaksa and agreed to provide
US$ 600 million in financial assistance to address the current economic crisis. The World Bank Country Manager Chiyo Kanda, said US$ 400 million would be released immediately under the first phase.
Since economic crisis was brewing, India has assisted its closest South Indian neighbour with more than $2.5 billion for the first quarter of 2022 and last week, promised an additional $500 million in financial assistance to buy fuel. Country’s foreign debt for the year 2022 exceeds $7 billion but with the remaining $1.6 billion forex reserves, Central Bank announced a default on all its foreign debts. Sri Lankan team lead by the Finance Minister was on talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington and announced on Saturday that its request for more dollars was ‘fruitful’.
However, Lanka turning to the IMF for a bailout has ‘hurt’ Beijing which had said it was
considering a $1 billion loan and a $1.5 billion credit line to purchase goods from China has said: “Sri Lanka going to IMF with a short notice has unavoidably impacted the discussion.”
Sri Lanka with over $50 billion in external debt and a shortage of foreign exchange reserves, and skyrocketing inflation struggles to pay for the essential imports including food and medicine.
With medicine gone out of stocks in both state and private sector hospitals, doctors have declared a situation of medical emergency and pleading with the World Health Organisation,
foreign countries and even its own domiciles to send specific medical supplies to the country.
Responding to Sri Lanka’s medical crisis nearly 101 types of medicines and surgical equipments donated by India is to reach the island nation via a vessel belonging to Indian Navy.
