Several hundred people protested in front of the residence of the President of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapakha, on Thursday in the capital Colombo, as a result of which one person was seriously injured and a traffic ban was imposed.
It was not clear if police used live ammunition to disperse the crowd. The indefinite curfew was imposed in the capital as protesters demanded the president’s resignation, accusing him of failing to deal with the severe economic crisis affecting the Southeast Asian country.
Groups of angry protesters set fire to an army bus and a police car in the area where the president’s residence is located, and used bricks against law enforcement forces.
Government sources told AFP that President Rajapakha was not at home when the incidents broke out.
“I am not able to return home, our neighborhood is closed,” said a resident. “People are screaming that they want the president and his family to resign,” he added.
In the midst of the worst economic crisis that Sri Lanka has ever experienced, the anger of the citizens is more and more palpable, in the endless queues at the gas stations, when they are forced to light candles due to power outages …
Faced with an acute shortage of foreign exchange, the island of 22 million people is unable to import vital products, resulting in huge shortages, especially of medicines and cement.
The demonstration in front of the president’s house was organized by activists through social networking sites. Its live broadcast by a private television station, due to the government’s stifling pressure, according to journalists.
Videos uploaded to social media sites show protesters, men and women, shouting slogans demanding the ouster of the president and his family.
Anger is escalating against the government of President Rajapakha, a member of a political dynasty that was once very popular with the vast majority of the Sinhalese population, thanks to the dominance of the armed forces in the 2009 war against the Tamil Tamils.
Since then, however, support for the Rajapaxa family has collapsed.
Mahida, the brother of the head of state, is the prime minister. A second brother, Basil, is finance minister. A third brother of the head of state, Samal, is Minister of Agriculture, while Namal’s nephew is Minister of Sports.
SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
