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Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has become interim president, called on the leader of parliament to nominate a new premier and declared a state of emergency on July 13 after thousands stormed his office complex. The situation occurred after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his wife left the country for the Maldives, hours before the deadline for his promised resignation.
The resignation and departure of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has failed to calm the fury in Sri Lanka, a country submerged in a serious economic crisis.
Protests broke out again in Colombo this Wednesday, July 13. Thousands of protesters seized the headquarters of the state-run Rupavahini television channel and stormed the office complex of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who also became interim president after Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country.
in the face of chaos, Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency. “I have ordered the military commanders and the chief of police to do what is necessary to restore order (…) Those who broke into my office want to prevent me from fulfilling my responsibilities as interim president,” the transitional leader said in a television speech. .
As protesters in Sri Lanka demanded that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe step down and breached the gate of his office, security forces fired tear gas and a military helicopter circled overhead.
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Police clashed with hundreds of activists and fired tear gas as the crowd tried to get through the gates, chanting “Ranil go home!” Some denounced that they received blows and at least one person died after exposure to the chemical compound.
“The situation is bad, they are shooting, shooting tear gas non-stop, a lot of people have been injured,” said Vinodh Blaze, a tuk-tuk driver.
Citizens demand a total change of government, which is why they refuse to allow Wickremesinghe to lead the country and demand that he also resign immediately.
“Ranil is now acting as president and the people of Sri Lanka don’t want him. If he is president, nothing changes. We demand that Gotabaya go and Ranil go. We want new politicians we can trust. But we can see that they are not listening to us,” said another of the protesters.
Sri Lanka has seen months of turmoil that this week deepened with thousands of protesters taking over the presidential residence.
Wickremesinghe asks the leader of Parliament to nominate a prime minister
The interim leader of the nation, Ranil Wickremesinghe, asked the speaker of Parliament to nominate a new prime minister, his press team announced in recent hours.
“Interim President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed President Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to nominate a prime minister who is acceptable to both the government and the opposition,” his advisory group said in a statement.
Wickremesinghe previously assured that he will remain in office until a new government is appointed, but in the meantime he will continue with his functions.
“We cannot break our Constitution. We cannot allow the fascists to take control. We must end this fascist threat to democracy, ”he indicated in reference to the new outbreak of protests.
The protesters point out that although Rajapaksa left the country for the Maldives, he did not officially resign.
Activists and lawyers have called for the president to be brought to justice along with several members of his family for alleged corruption and human rights abuses. However, as long as he is still head of state, he has immunity and cannot be arrested.
Rajapaksa is not believed to officially step down until he reaches his final destination: the United Arab Emirates, which has long been a haven for fallen leaders.
What’s next for Sri Lanka?
“Sri Lanka pins its last hopes on the IMF”, picks up a recent headline in the local newspaper ‘Colombo Times’.
The nation is reeling from the worst economic crisis since 1948, which has led to severe foreign exchange shortages that have limited essential imports of fuel, food and medicine.
The authorities point out that the crisis has deepened after the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the tourism-dependent country hard.
But corruption has also played a key role in the flight of wealth from the country and complicates any financial rescue.
Experts point out that a change of government by itself would not be able to stop the financial chaos in which the nation finds itself. The last hopes are focused on an aid package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which the acting prime minister has led.
Wickremesinghe said on June 22 that he expected to have a preliminary agreement with the IMF by the end of July. But now that also depends on his replacement and the installation of a new Administration.
With Reuters, AP and local media
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