On Monday evening, Sri Lankan Prime Minister (PM) Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his post “effective immediately,” just three days after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared an emergency to tackle widespread anti-government protests demanding the resignation of both the president and the PM.
Effective immediately I have tendered my resignation as Prime Minister to the President.
— Mahinda Rajapaksa (@PresRajapaksa) May 9, 2022
අගමැති ධූරයෙන් ඉල්ලා අස්වීමේ ලිපිය ජනාධිපතිතුමා වෙත යොමු කළෙමි.
The Parliament must approve President Rajapaksa’s latest emergency plan within 14 days. Rajapaksa’s decision invokes parts of the Public Security Ordinance (PSO), allowing him to introduce rules in the “interests of public security, the preservation of public order, the suppression of mutiny, riot or civil commotion, or for the maintenance of essential supplies.” Additionally, the emergency rules allow him to deploy the military, quash protests, search any premises, take possession of any property, detain people, and suspend any law.
The extreme measure has drawn the ire of the opposition and several foreign ambassadors. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party called for Rajapaksa’s resignation, saying, “The state of emergency runs counter to seeking any solution to the crisis.”
United States (US) Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung remarked that the second state of emergency in months is not the solution and suggested long-term measures to resolve Sri Lanka’s economic crisis and political gridlock.
Reports cooking gas in Sri Lanka has totally run out in the economic crisis. People are being told not to wait in queues, a new shipment expected on the weekend. This is a pic from a couple of weeks back, we spoke to people waiting 12+ hours for gas just so they could cook meals. pic.twitter.com/FuU7LMJkrc
— Avani Dias (@AvaniDias) May 9, 2022
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Similarly, Canada’s ambassador, David McKinnon, called Rajapaksa’s decision “unnecessary,” adding, “Over the past weeks, the demonstrations across Sri Lanka have overwhelmingly involved citizens enjoying their right to peaceful freedom of expression, and are a credit to the country’s democracy.”
In a similar vein, Human rights group Amnesty International claimed, “Protests have been peaceful and the authorities have unlawfully restricted the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.”
This is how Government sponsored protesters attacked innocent peaceful protesters #lka #srilanka #gotagogama pic.twitter.com/SHjY7uP5UE
— 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗵𝗲𝘄𝗮🇱🇰 (@anp66) May 9, 2022
Against this backdrop, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka has demanded that Rajapaksa provide the reasons for the decree and to ensure that it does not violate citizens’ fundamental rights.
On Friday, police fired tear gas and water cannons at several demonstrators outside the Parliament, hospitalising two civilians. Protesters had gathered outside the parliament to voice their opposition against lawmakers for re-electing Ranjith Siyambalapitiya of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party as the deputy speaker last Thursday, saying that they should have voted to overthrow the Rajapaksa government instead of reaffirming support for a government ally.
Full on rioting by pro-Rajapaksa followers who are armed with poles and pulling down #MynaGoGama tents. Tents are being burned.
— Roel Raymond (@roelraymond) May 9, 2022
WHERE IS THE TEAR GAS??#SriLanka #lka pic.twitter.com/dasei725R5
Thousands of schools, shops, and businesses were closed as public and private sector employees went on strike to demand the resignation of the Rajapaksa government. Healthcare workers, too, joined the protests.
Despite the emergency declaration, demonstrators said they would continue protesting. Protest leader Lahiru Weerasekara said, “Suppression is not the answer to these protests but the consideration of the people’s demands, and they are ‘President leave immediately, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa leave immediately, and the government go home.’”
Video - Police use water canons as pro-government supporters attack peaceful Galle Face protest site.#LKA #SriLanka #SriLankaCrisis pic.twitter.com/fm6s3HIbqc
— Sri Lanka Tweet 🇱🇰 💉 (@SriLankaTweet) May 9, 2022
Meanwhile, President Rajapaksa has refused to resign, reiterating calls for a unity government led by him. However, as per reports, he asked his brother, PM Rajapaksa, to resign this week during Friday’s special cabinet meeting. However, given that the PM has resigned on Monday itself, the President is now expected to invite all political parties to form an “all-party cabinet” with immediate effect.
In fact, according to reports, the President invited opposition leader Premadasa to form the interim government and become the new PM but was declined. According to Tissa Attanayake, the national organiser for SJB, Premadasa refused to form an interim government “without simultaneously working to abolish the Executive Presidency.”
Sri Lanka protesters assualted by Police near Parliament
— NewsWire 🇱🇰 (@NewsWireLK) May 6, 2022
📷 @Welikumbura pic.twitter.com/xabKZ1Yk5B
For several months, Sri Lanka has been reeling from severe food, fuel, and medicine shortages due to a foreign exchange crisis. The lack of hard currency has restricted the import of raw materials, which has led to record-high inflation levels.
In addition, the Russia-Ukraine war has worsened Sri Lanka’s oil crisis, with authorities implementing long power cuts due to insufficient fuel to sustain power generating plants. In this regard, Lanka IOC, a subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation, on Sunday announced limits on fuel from Monday—$25 for two-wheelers, $38 for three-wheelers, and $103 for cars, vans, and jeeps. However, buses, lorries, and commercial vehicles are exempted from limits.
Sri Lanka, whose ruling Rajapaksa family opened the door to China's debt-trap diplomacy, faces a deepening economic and humanitarian crisis. India, more than any other country, has come to its aid, providing $3 billion in economic assistance in 2022 alone, with more aid imminent.
— Brahma Chellaney (@Chellaney) May 4, 2022
The country is also concurrently holding talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure an immediate funding facility and a long-term recovery plan. But the IMF has reportedly conveyed that the funding depends on negotiations on debt restructuring with creditors.
According to Minister of Finance Ali Sabry, the country is nearing bankruptcy, with just $50 million in useable foreign reserves. Sri Lanka’s total foreign debt amounts to $51 billion, though it has now defaulted on this. President Rajapaksa previously declared a state of emergency on April 1 but rescinded the order after five days due to local and international pressure.