Sri Lanka Crisis: All ministers resign, Rajapaksa remains prime minister
Published: Monday, April 4, 2022, 7:29 [IST] COLOMBO, April 4 (Reuters) – Sri Lanka, which has been hit by a crisis, witnessed a major development late Sunday night. All ministers of the Sri Lankan parliament have collectively resigned from their positions at a late-night meeting on Sunday, the Education Minister said. However, Mahinda Rajapaksa will continue as Prime Minister.
All ministers of Sri Lanka’s parliament have submitted their resignations just hours after the Prime Minister’s Office denied reports of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation. The Prime Minister’s Office has now dismissed the report of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation as false. It is clear that that decision has not been made.
Prime Minister Mahindra Rajapaksa’s eldest son, Namal Rajapaksa, tweeted after he resigned from his post as Youth and Sports Minister. “I have informed the President that my resignation will take effect immediately on all accounts,” the statement said.
Son of Sri Lankan Prime Minister who tweeted about his resignation
“I have resigned all my positions with the assurance that the Prime Minister and the President will help maintain stability in Sri Lanka. I am committed to my voters, my party and the people of Hambantota (SIC),”
A fierce protest against the government
Early Sunday morning, students staged protests outside the University of Peradeniya against the financial crisis. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters defying the government’s weekend curfew.
Hundreds of people joined the march by opposition leaders in the capital Colombo. Police and soldiers carrying rifles have blocked a protest near the home of opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.
The Sri Lankan government on Saturday blocked access to all social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube, to curb protests against Sri Lankan Prime Minister Rajapaksa. The ban was lifted after Prime Minister’s son Namal Rajapaksa spoke out against him on Sunday afternoon.
The 36-hour curfew, which began at 6pm on Saturday, will continue until 6am on Monday. At least 664 people have been arrested for violating the curfew, officials said. Rising inflation and weak currency have skyrocketed in commodity prices in Sri Lanka. During the recession, the people of the island nation stood in line for hours to buy fuel, food and medicines. More often than not, many come back empty-handed. Either the goods are finished in the store, or they are coming back because they don’t have enough money.
While a kilogram of sugar is Rs 240, a liter of coconut oil has risen to Rs 850 a liter. Of course, you’d be surprised if you knew the price of an egg. The cost of one egg in Sri Lanka is Rs. The price of a pack of 1kg milk powder is 1900 rupees.
