Comment COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Protesters stormed the office of Sri Lanka’s prime minister on Wednesday, once again taking to the streets of the capital and calling for the ouster of the island nation’s top leaders as a deadline for the president’s promised resignation came and went. Heavy clashes erupted in the afternoon as security forces in riot gear fired multiple rounds of tear gas at protesters who scaled the walls and security towers of the prime minister’s compound, eventually taking control there. A 26-year-old protester died of respiratory problems after being tear gassed, several people were injured and by evening a state of emergency was declared across the country. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had left the country before dawn. By midnight, with no official announcement that he had resigned, Sri Lanka remained in a shambles, beset by confusion over who was making decisions and no closer to addressing the economic disaster that forced Rajapaksa out. His sudden departure created a political vacuum that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sought to fill, only to be confronted by protesters and opposition parties who decried Rajapaksa’s move to name him acting president. The unrest and violence, experts warned, would only worsen the country’s economic woes. Sri Lanka is reeling from record inflation and drug shortages, and has almost run out of fuel and money to pay for it. Ganeshan Wignaraja, a Sri Lankan economist at global affairs think tank ODI, said continued instability is likely to “stun the economy by scaring away investors, tourists, domestic remittances and even foreign aid. Without such a vital currency, I fear the financial crisis will take longer to resolve and people will suffer more.” The country’s already difficult negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over a bailout package will likely become even more challenging without stable political leadership. Sri Lankan police fired tear gas at protesters outside the prime minister’s office in Colombo on July 13 after the president fled to the Maldives. (Video: Reuters) As of Wednesday night, Rajapaksa was still believed to be in the Maldives, where he and his wife had flown in an air force plane. “We are bound to uphold the constitution and the request for the plane was within the constitutional powers vested in the president,” said Air Force spokesman Group Capt. Dusan Wijesinghe. But he faces a hostile public in the Maldives, a small Muslim-majority nation in the Indian Ocean, because of his government’s response to the 2019 Islamist suicide attacks in Colombo — with policies that targeted Muslims and closed their schools. Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, speaker of parliament, announced at a press conference that Rajapaksa had appointed Wickremesinghe as acting president in his absence. Wickremesinghe had previously offered to step down as prime minister, as protesters have demanded, although he did not provide a timetable. In addition to the state of emergency, the acting president imposed a curfew in the country’s western province. He said he had asked the armed forces to take action to restore order, which only fueled fears that chaos and violence could escalate further. “We cannot allow people who want to circumvent the constitution to occupy offices and homes,” he said, referring in part to taking over his ministerial office. “We must also protect private individuals.” Despite the curfew, more clashes were reported between protesters and security forces near the country’s parliament, local media reported. Police fire tear gas and use water cannons to disperse protesters near the president’s residence near Parliament Mamith Dissanayake pic.twitter.com/bG3WfadRlB — NewsWire 🇱🇰 (@NewsWireLK) July 13, 2022 The crowd outside the prime minister’s office for much of the day consisted mainly of young students, including some who had come to Colombo from other cities. As they first passed through metal fences and then through the front gate, the crowd erupted in cheers and songs. But many people’s anger at Rajapaksa and his family – including relatives who served as ministers and even prime minister – is turning into anger directed at the country’s entire political leadership. Many protesters said they want systemic change. “We want all 225 [lawmakers] to go,” said Lahiru Madusanka, 24, who was at a gate when he was hit by tear gas. “We’ve seen the same people all our lives.” Police repression brought some into the streets for the first time, with cries of “victory in the race!” is heard over and over again outside the complex. “We’re expecting cooking gas, but we’re getting tear gas,” said Luke John, a pastor at a local church who was there with a friend to show solidarity with the cause. “The government pushed us to do this.” “Go home, Gota,” shouted Neyomal Wijesundara, a former travel company executive who lost his job during the economic downturn. “We want to rid our country of corrupt politicians.” A 65-year-old housewife named Bandulatha Kulatunga, who had voted for the Rajapaksas in previous elections, walked three hours to Colombo to vent her frustration. Her family had to wait a week for her son to be operated on because the local hospital did not have medical supplies. “Young people are risking their lives,” Kulatunga said. “We have to support them.” Rajapaksa, 73, had refused to step aside for months even in the face of growing public competition. However, the dramatic occupation of his residence last Saturday by thousands of protesters forced his decision. Protesters occupied the home, lounging in the president’s pool and cooking meals in his kitchen. The illustrious Rajapaksa dynasty has dominated Sri Lankan politics for decades, although its final years in power have been marred by allegations of corruption and disastrous economic policies. With a frustrated audience looking for a reckoning, it’s unclear what will happen to the family in the coming weeks and months. Many people blame them for the country’s economic disaster and demand that Rajapaksa and his relatives be tried for corruption. “He left like a coward without apologizing to the country,” said Hirushi Lakshika, a 25-year-old protester. On Tuesday, the president’s brother, former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa, was barred from leaving the country on a flight to Dubai. The Hindu newspaper reported that the United States had rejected a recent visa request by the president. The US State Department declined to comment. Sri Lanka’s president will resign next week, parliament speaker says, after protesters storm residence Sri Lanka is going through its worst economic crisis in decades, with millions of people struggling to survive. The economy has “completely collapsed” and the country is “bankrupt”, Wickremesinghe recently told Parliament. While the coronavirus pandemic has been a huge factor, with lockdowns hitting the tourism industry on which many workers depend, the Rajapaksa government’s policies have also proved extremely damaging. Among them were heavy tax cuts and an overnight ban on chemical fertilizers that crippled agricultural production. Anti-government protests started months ago, first ousting the president’s older brother Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister and then forcing other family members from their positions. As fuel shortages grew, schools and offices closed. In a desperate attempt to prevent impending food shortages, the government asked workers to grow food at home. Rajapaksa unsuccessfully asked Russia for a fuel credit and Wickremesinghe approached the IMF for a bailout package. Aid groups have warned that the country needs millions of dollars in food aid. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and its impact on global oil and grain prices have greatly aggravated Sri Lanka’s woes. In the imposing colonial-era compound where Rajapaksa lived in elegance and green gardens, the last few days resembled a carnival. Occupying protesters remained there over the weekend. Prasad Sinniah, 40, a marketing professional, turned up with his children. “We wanted them all gone,” he said of the Rajapaksa family. “We lived comfortably until all this happened. Now, it’s a daily struggle.” What to know about the unrest in Sri Lanka Inside the collapse of the Rajapaksa dynasty in Sri Lanka
