The crippling economic crisis in Sri Lanka seems to have claimed its first political casualty as Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has so far fended off criticism for the handling of the economy, has come under fresh pressure to resign.
While Rajapaksa is still reluctant to step down, he has realised the extent of resentment against him after his visit to Anuradhapura, CNN-News18 has learnt. The prime minister was hooted at and jeered by protesters amid calls to resign when he visited Anuradhapura on Sunday morning.
Amid the uncertainty, Rajapaksa has planned for his supporters to come to Temple Trees, his official residence, on Monday to appeal to him not to resign. However, sources said he will use the opportunity to announce that he is stepping down.
They added that the imposition of the Emergency was attracting adverse reactions domestically and from the West and had prompted the political move.
Mahinda Rajapaksa’s younger brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency with effect from Friday midnight, the second in just over a month.
A spokesman for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he invoked the tough laws to “ensure public order” after shops closed and public transport was halted Friday, bringing the South Asian island nation of 22 million people to a standstill after weeks of unrest.
Reports said the 72-year-old president, for a few weeks now, has been wanting Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign in order to set up an all-party interim government.
The main opposition SJB party has insisted that it will not take up any role in a national administration unless the president also steps down accepting responsibility for mismanagement and corruption.
Sri Lanka’s economic crisis took hold after the coronavirus pandemic hammered income from tourism and remittances.
Unable to pay for fuel imports, utilities have imposed daily blackouts to ration electricity, while long lines of people snake around service stations for petrol and kerosene.
Hospitals are short of vital medicines and the government has appealed to citizens abroad for donations.
Last month Sri Lanka announced it was defaulting on its $51 billion foreign debt, and finance minister Ali Sabry warned this week that the country will have to endure its unprecedented economic hardships for at least two more years.
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