Following days of protests over the island nation’s debilitating economic crisis, Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition lost its parliamentary majority as former allies called for the President’s resignation
Some Points on Sri Lanka Ruling Coalition party’s defeat
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ruling coalition in Sri Lanka lost its majority in Parliament today after at least 41 legislators defected.
Ali Sabry, Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister, resigned today, only one day after being sworn in, amid mounting public outrage over the country’s deteriorating economic situation. Mr Sabry was one of four new cabinet members nominated by President Rajapaksa yesterday.
The opposition in Sri Lanka rebuffed President Rajapaksa’s invitation to join a unity government as “nonsensical” and demanded his resignation instead, citing the country’s mounting food, gasoline, and medicine shortages.
As the country grapples with protests and rising demands for the President’s resignation over a deteriorating economic crisis, Deputy Parliament Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya resigned as the Parliament reconvened today for the first time since the state of emergency was established in Sri Lanka.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday that it is “extremely closely” monitoring political and economic developments in Sri Lanka, which is experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades.
There have been widespread public protests against the Rajapaksa family’s mishandling of the economic situation, which has been exacerbated by the foreign exchange crisis and balance of payment problems.
Ajith Cabraal, the country’s central bank governor, resigned on Monday after the cabinet resigned to pave room for a new administration to deal with the country’s spiralling economic crisis.
Moreover, apart from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his elder brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, all 26 ministers resigned on Sunday night.
Internet service providers were ordered to limit access to social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and YouTube once the protests became more intense. In the second half of Sunday, the social media restrictions were lifted.
The South Asian country is experiencing catastrophic food, gasoline, and other necessary shortages, as well as record inflation and crippling power outages, in its worst downturn since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
News Sourced from- NDTV
Also Read: Sri Lankan Government refuses to Resign until the opposition accepts his offer, 2022
