Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa government that came into power in 2019 with over two-thirds majority this week saw thousands of protesters descending on the capital Colombo seeking the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who they blame for the present economic crisis. The island country has been facing a crippling foreign exchange and energy crisis.

The protest, initially started by common people earlier this week, was later joined by Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party. Thousands of supporters of the SJB marched towards the President's Office in Colombo, blaming the government for the economic mismanagement.

The forex crisis reached a level where the authorities are struggling to imports fuel and other essentials. The shortage of fuel also crippled the country’s power sector, forcing the authorities to impose power cuts sometimes as long as 10 hours in a day.

The Sri Lankan rupee has depreciated to 260 against the US dollar, while the inflation rate has accelerated over the past few months, hitting 15.1 % in February 2022, a 13-year high, according to a report in The Hindu.

In the last few days, prices of almost essential items and transport rates have been hiked, crippling a vast majority of the population who are being forced to choose between paying their utility bills or saving money for food.

During the protests on Tuesday, people raised slogans “Gota go”, asking President Rajapaksa to resign, the first time such protests have happened against the ruling Rajapaksa clan. “Enough is enough, now go to IMF” reads another placard, asking the government to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF).   

Addressing the protesters, Premadasa asked, “You have been suffering now for two years. Can you suffer further?” He further described the government as “evil” and blamed it for many of the country’s economic woes.

If the poor people are struggling for food whose prices have skyrocketed in the last few weeks, the rich are struggling to find fuel for their vehicles or electricity for their air conditioning; virtually, no one has been left untouched by the crisis.

“Even the middle class is badly hit. And in the rural areas, many could fall below the poverty line. It is going to take a very long time to lift them out of poverty,” Ranil Wickremesinghe, the country’s former prime minister, said in an interview to The Hindu.

He, however, denied the rumors of him joining any future national unity government if it comes. Instead, he asked the government to form a national consensus to tackle the present crisis.

(SAM)