- Government loses majority in Parliament
- Finance minister resigns one day after his appointment
- Stocks rise after events in Parliament
- The opposition is demanding the resignation of the President, the Prime Minister
COLOMBO, April 5 – Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa lifted the state of emergency late Tuesday after dozens of lawmakers quit the ruling coalition, leaving his government in a minority in Parliament as it struggled to contain protests the country’s worst situation to quell economic crisis in decades.
In another setback for the government, Finance Minister Ali Sabry resigned a day after his appointment and ahead of crucial talks with the International Monetary Fund over a loan program.
Rajapaksa dissolved his cabinet on Monday and attempted to form a unity government amid public unrest over the ruling family’s handling of the debt-ridden economy that has fueled food and fuel shortages and prolonged power outages. A medical association also told the government that there was an acute shortage of medicines that could collapse the health system.
In an official journal published late Tuesday, Rajapaksa revoked the emergency decree that went into effect last Friday.
“I, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, hereby revoke the Official Gazette effective 5
Politically, the possible next steps could include the appointment of a new prime minister to replace the president’s older brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, or snap general elections well ahead of a scheduled vote in 2025.
There was no immediate indication of what was planned.
Sabry said in his letter of resignation to the president that he believed he had “acted in the best interests of the country.”
“At this crucial juncture, the country needs stability to weather the current financial crisis and difficulties,” he said in the letter, seen by Reuters, also offering to resign from his seat in parliament if the president takes someone from the outside in his place wanted to get.
Street demonstrations against food and fuel shortages, sparked by a lack of foreign exchange for imports, began last month but have intensified in recent days, in some cases leading to clashes between protesters and police.
Dozens of protesters gathered peacefully near the prime minister’s residence on Tuesday.
“WITH THE PEOPLE”
The names of the 41 MPs who will leave the coalition have been announced by party leaders in parliament.
They have now become independent members, leaving Rajapaksa’s government with fewer than the 113 members needed to hold a majority in the 225-member house.
No vote count has yet been conducted, although Rajapaksa’s minority government may find decision-making more difficult. However, independent parliamentarians could continue to support government proposals in the House.
“There is an endless shortage of basic necessities, including fuel and cooking gas. Hospitals are on the verge of closure for lack of medicines,” Maithripala Sirisena, leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, which withdrew its support for Rajapaksa’s coalition, told parliament.
“At a time like this, our party is on the side of the people.”
People carrying signs shout slogans against Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and demand that Rajapaksa family politicians resign during a protest amid the country’s economic crisis on a main street in Colombo, Sri Lanka April 4, 2022. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte
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In another sign of a desperate lack of funds, Sri Lanka announced the temporary closure of its embassies in Oslo and Baghdad and the consulate general in Sydney from April 30.
The Foreign Ministry said it was restructuring Sri Lanka’s diplomatic mission due to the “economic situation and foreign exchange restrictions the country is facing”.
The Government Medical Officers Association, which represents over 16,000 doctors nationwide, said there was an acute shortage of medicines, including life-saving drugs.
“Failure to ensure a continuous and adequate supply of essential medicines will lead to the collapse of the entire health system,” the health ministry said in a letter.
“This will create a life-threatening situation for our citizens who are already facing an unprecedented crisis situation.”
Reuters graphics
SHARES RISING
The Colombo Stock Exchange’s All-Share Index (.CSE) rose about 6% as lawmakers made their positions clear in Parliament.
Sirisena joined other lawmakers in urging the President and Prime Minister to come up with a clear plan to solve Sri Lanka’s financial mess.
But opposition parties – reflecting the mood of the protests sweeping the country of 22 million people – have urged the two brothers to step down. A third brother, Basil Rajapaksa, resigned as finance minister on Sunday.
Protests erupted in several regions of Sri Lanka, including the largest city of Colombo, over the country’s worst economic crisis in several decades.
The opposition parties have also rejected a request to form a unity government from all parties represented in parliament.
“There shouldn’t be a voice that contradicts the voice on the street. And the voice is that there should be a change,” said Sajith Premadasa, leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Sri Lanka’s main opposition alliance.
“What the people want is for this president and the entire government to resign.”
A small group of people protested near Parliament while police stood guard with tear gas and water cannons.
“If the government loses its majority, you could see the opposition filing a no-confidence vote, but there is a parliamentary procedure that bypasses it first and is unlikely to happen immediately,” said constitutional lawyer Luwie Niranjan Ganeshanathan.
If a no-confidence vote is passed, the president can appoint a new prime minister, he said.
The opposition could also introduce a resolution to dissolve parliament and call for early elections, Ganeshanathan added.
Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe and Devjyot Ghoshal in Colombo; Additional reporting by Waruna Karunatilake in Colombo; Written by Devjyot Ghoshal and Krishna N. Das; Edited by Raju Gopalakrishnan, Bernadette Baum and Jonathan Oatis