Sri Lanka’s opposition parties rejected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s call to set up an all-party unity government after all 26 of his cabinet ministers resigned en masse on Sunday.
Over the weekend, as thousands of civilians took to the streets to protest against the government and called for the resignation of the top officials, 26 cabinet ministers tendered their resignation, including the President’s brothers, Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa and Minister of Ports & Aviation and Irrigation & Water Management Chamal Rajapaksa, along with Prime Minister (PM) Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Minister of Youth & Sports Namal Rajapaksa. Citing economic mismanagement by the government, the Central Bank’s chief, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, also stepped down. However, both the president and the PM have confirmed that they have no plans to step down.
Subsequently, on Monday, President Rajapaksa urged all political parties to unite to mitigate the spiralling political and economic crisis. A statement by the President’s Media Division said, “As one of the leading democracies in Asia, solutions to the crisis need to be found within the framework of democracy itself.” Keeping this in mind, Rajapaksa called on opposition parties to step into the now vacant ministerial posts and assist in finding a solution “for the sake of all the citizens and future generations.”
However, the Sijith Premadasa-led Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Anura Kumara Dissanayake-led Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), two of the parties in the country’s largest opposition coalition, declined the request. The SJB leader addressed a press briefing on Monday saying that his party will not form an agreement with the President or the incumbent government. He declared that rather than engaging in “deal politics” with a corrupt government, his party remains focussed on unifying efforts to oust the incumbent leaders and the government. Premadasa also called for abolishing the executive presidency system so that all the voices in the Parliament could be heard.
"Do not make deals to gather 113, abolish Executive Presidency" - Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
— DailyMirror (@Dailymirror_SL) April 5, 2022
Part 01#SriLanka #SLnews pic.twitter.com/T2LxXeMXaF
The JVP’s Dissanayake, too, said that his party would not join the ruling government, as the people have made clear that they want the President to step down. He added, “He really must be a lunatic to think that opposition MPs (Members of Parliament) will prop up a government that is crumbling.”
The SJB Economic Council gathered today to discuss the optimal and practical ways to revitalize the Sri Lankan economy and put the country back on track. pic.twitter.com/KnYiVBt1f0
— Samagi Jana Balawegaya (@sjbsrilanka) April 4, 2022
Along the same lines, the main minority opposition party, the Tamil National Alliance, also rejected the proposal. The party’s spokesperson, Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran, said, “His offer to reconstitute the cabinet with opposition MPs is nonsensical and infuriates the people who have been demanding his resignation.”
Crucially, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, a key ally of the government that has 14 MPs in the 150-member ruling coalition, also withdrew its support for the Rajapaksa administration on Monday. Party chief Mahinda Amaraweera said that from Tuesday, the party will make its own independent decisions.
Sri Lankan Parliament session underway with former President Sirisena speaking; Says his party Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) won't back the govt. Protest underway outside the Parliament. pic.twitter.com/6NyLtqglqc
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) April 5, 2022
Furthermore, another 50 MPs announced their decision to leave Rajapaksa’s Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna party and operate as independent MPs; 20 members of the ruling party and 12 others will become independent by April 6. As a result, the ruling party’s seats will be reduced to 95 from 157, effectively removing the party’s majority in the 225-seat parliament.
Sri Lanka Crisis Coverage:
- Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa’s Cabinet Resigns En Masse As Protests Intensify Despite Crackdown
Sri Lankan Economic Crisis Prompts Day-Long Power Cuts, Intense Protests Against Rajapaksa - 16 Sri Lankan Tamils Reach Indian Shores Attempting to Escape Economic Crisis
- Sri Lanka: Thousands Demand Resignation of “Evil” Rajapaksa Gov’t Amid Severe Shortages
However, Rajapaksa remains adamant about retaining his position as the country’s leader. He has also reappointed four members of the cabinet, including the ministers of foreign affairs, education, and highways, with former Chief Justice Ali Sabry becoming the new Minister of Finance & Planning.
Sri Lanka is currently in the middle of an unprecedented economic crisis that has depleted its foreign reserves and led to record-high inflation. Consequently, the government has been unable to import essential items such as food, medicines, and fuel. The country has also been facing severe power cuts that have lasted up to 12 hours per day as part of a cost-cutting measure.
Protest underway in front of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office in Colombo, #SriLanka demading his resignation pic.twitter.com/6daaRyLYQW
— Koustuv 🇮🇳 (@srdmk01) April 4, 2022
Against this backdrop, on Monday, as demonstrators marched towards the Rajapaksa family home in Tangalle demanding their resignation, police forces used water cannons to disperse them. To curb protests, the government also restricted access to several social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Twitter, for about 15 hours, before it rescinded its ban owing to a huge public outcry. Due to the severe shortage of essential life-saving drugs, the government also declared a health emergency starting Tuesday.