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The discontent is occurring amid the pandemic, rising oil prices, tax cuts, among other things that have left Sri Lanka without enough reserves to pay for vital imports of fuel, food and medicine. Within the framework of the strike, the demonstrators increase the calls for the resignation of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government.
Sri Lanka woke up this Thursday with a large number of schools, train stations and commercial premises closed in the context of a general strike of teachers, machinists and workers in general, in protest at the serious economic crisis in that Asian nation. The main demand of the protesters is the resignation of the government headed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whom they blame for the current situation.
The workers of the state banking sector also joined the strike. Dressed in black and carrying flags of the same color, they joined other sector employees outside the president’s office.
“This government ruined our country. Costs rise every day, businesses close and people have no way of living. There is no fuel, when we go home there is no electricity or gas to cook, to prepare meals,” said a young 34-year-old cashier, one of the thousands of protesters who took to the streets in much of the national territory.
The Sri Lankan head of state reiterated this week his willingness to form an interim government with a new prime minister and a reformed cabinet. However, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president’s older brother, refused to resign. Mahinda justified his refusal by having a majority in parliament.
In this context, the union leaders of the Asian nation threatened a continuous strike in the month of May if the president and the head of government do not leave office.
In this sense, the cabinet spokesman, Nalaka Godahewa stated that “political instability will only make it difficult to find solutions to the financial crisis”. Godahewa considered it imperative that a strong government be established with a clear majority in Parliament, an issue on which the Executive was working “to achieve this goal.”
Meanwhile, two opposition parties, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), have started the process to file no-confidence motions in Parliament against the president and prime minister.
A combination of loans from China, India and Japan, a number of bonds held by foreign investors and bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have exacerbated Sri Lanka’s worst known financial crisis since independence from the UK. United in the year 1948.
A huge tax cut, implemented by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019, depleted the state coffers. With the arrival of the pandemic, the tourism industry, one of its main economic engines, was slowed down.
In the last two years, Colombo’s foreign exchange reserves have fallen by 70%, putting the country’s leadership in a constant struggle to pay for essentials such as fuel, medicine and food.
with Reuters
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