Colombo,(Samajweekly) Comparing defeated former President Jair Bolsonaro supporters’ break into Brazilian Congress and presidential palace to Sri Lankan protestors taking over the President’s Office and President’s House in July 2022 and toppling the government, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe has condemned the commotion in Brasilia.
However, Sri Lankan protestors criticised Wickremesinghe’s comparison and said if the Sri Lanka President compares what happened in Brazil to Sri Lanka, he should resign immediately.
“I am deeply concerned about the recent violence that erupted in Brasilia. Sri Lanka not so long ago also experienced similar attempts by groups to overthrow democratic structures through unconstitutional means. Such hostilities are condemned, and we stand in solidarity with the President, government and people of Brazil in this hour of confrontation,” President Wickremesinghe said.
“It is imperative that democracy and its institutions are universally respected by all citizens,” he added.
But Sri Lankan protestors criticised Wickremesinghe’s comments.
“If President Wickremesinghe attempts to compare what happened in Brazil to what happened in Sri Lanka last year, as one of the first person who promoted Sri Lanka’s ‘Aragalaya’ or ‘struggle’, Wickremesighe should resign himself,” Nuwan Bopage, a lawyer and one of the leaders of Sri Lanka’s struggle, told IANS.
“This is because before becoming the Prime Minister he justified ‘Aragalaya’ in Sri Lanka and as soon as he was appointed Prime Minister he even appointed one of his representative, a former Minister to support the protests,” Bopage said.
If Wickremesinghe compares what happened in Sri Lanka to Brazil, and as a person who supported so-called ‘undemocratic’ endeavour, he has no right to occupy his position as the President.
“What happened in Sri Lanka was a result of public protest, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned. But former President and defeated party is brought back to power now through Wickremesinghe,” the protest leader said.
“This is completely different to what happened in Brazil,” he alleged.
Following unprecedented economic crisis, Sri Lanka took to streets in March 2022 and held public protests occupying President’s Office in state capital Colombo.
Amid the continued protests, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet resigned on May 9 and on July 9, protestors invaded President Gotabaya’s house forcing him to flee.
Later, he fled to Maldives and then to Singapore from where he announced his resignation and appointment of Wickremesinghe as the Acting President. The protestors also occupied the Prime Minister’s Office and his official residence.
