Sri Lanka: Protesters to continue occupation of president’s and prime minister’s residences until resignation

LAST UPDATE: 15:35

Sri Lankans toured the ransacked presidential palace today as calm was restored in the capital Colombo, a day after protesters stormed the building and forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to announce his resignation.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has also said he will step down to allow an all-party caretaker government to take over the country’s governance.

The political chaos could complicate Sri Lanka’s efforts to emerge from an economic crisis caused by a severe foreign exchange shortage that has led to the suspension of food, fuel and medicine imports.

The International Monetary Fund, which is in talks with the Sri Lankan government to provide the country with a $3 billion bailout package, said today that it is closely monitoring developments.

Anger over the economic situation reached an impasse yesterday Saturday with a crowd of people storming the presidential palace. In fact, some found the opportunity to dive into the pool.

About 45 people were taken to Colombo’s main hospital yesterday, but there were no reports of deaths.

Today surprised citizens had the opportunity to explore the building of the presidential grand. Members of the security forces, some holding weapons, stood outside the compound but did not prevent people from entering.

Among them was 61-year-old handkerchief seller BM Chandrawathi who was wandering on the first floor of the building with her daughter and grandchildren.

“I’ve never seen such a place in my life,” she declared, sitting on a comfortable sofa. “They lived in absolute luxury while we suffered,” he complained.

Nearby a group of men lay on a bed while others took turns walking up a gymnasium with a commanding view of the palace gardens.

“Peaceful Transition”

Once a middle-income country with a standard of living that was the envy of India, Sri Lanka has been hit hard by the loss of tourism revenue following a jihadist attack in 2019 and subsequently by the covid-19 pandemic.

The worst economic crisis to hit the country of 22 million since independence in 1948 has been exacerbated, according to economists, by a series of bad political decisions, for which citizens blame the family of the president who has been in power since 2005.

Like most Sri Lankans, Chandrawathy is struggling to make ends meet due to inflation, the devaluation of the country’s currency, chronic fuel shortages and constant power outages.

Inflation reached 54.6% in June, with the central bank warning that it could reach 70% in the coming months.

The UN estimates that around 80% of the country’s population is forced to skip meals.

Lying on a wooden couch, Vasantha Kumara said he spent the night in the presidential palace.

The water in the pool has become dirty and no one swims in it today.

Kumara, 33, a civil servant, said he wanted Rajapaksa to keep his promise and resign on Wednesday 13 July.

“If he doesn’t leave, I’ll keep coming here and I’ll keep sleeping here until he does,” he warned.

Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said Rajapaksa’s decision to step down was “taken to ensure a peaceful transition of power”, although the details of the transition are unclear.

Already two of his close associates have resigned: the head of the press service and the Minister of Media who also left the post of head of the presidential party.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa himself is said to have left by boat for southern Sri Lanka, according to a security source.

Protesters will continue occupying the residences of the president and prime minister until they resign

Leaders of the Sri Lankan protest movement that forced the country’s president and prime minister out of their official residences said today they will continue occupying the residences until both resign.

“The president must resign, the prime minister must resign and the government must go,” playwright Ruwantie Chikera told a news conference at the protest site, surrounded by other movement leaders.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe plan to resign, the speaker of parliament announced yesterday, bowing to intense pressure after a day of protests in which protesters stormed the official presidential residence and set fire to the prime minister’s residence in Colombo.