Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s residence in the city of Kurunegala in the north-western province was set on fire on Monday, hours after the leader tendered his resignation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, as the country goes through an intensified civil strife amid a crippling economic crisis.
Earlier in the day, anti-government protesters also set on fire the official residences of Sri Lanka’s Moratuwa Mayor, Saman Lal Fernando and the MPs Sanath Nishantha, Ramesh Pathirana, Mahipala Herath, Thissa Kuttiarachchi and Nimal Lanza. A large number of protesters including the Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF) were out on the streets and attacked the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MPs. Even some Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) offices were set ablaze, Daily Mirror reported.
Moreover, two people were shot dead and five others were left injured at the residence of the Chairman of the Weeraketiya Pradeshiya Sabha, local police said.
The developments came even as the Prime Minister tendered his resignation and called for the formation of an all-party interim government to handle the ongoing economic crisis in the country. The military has been deployed on the roads to maintain calm despite an island-wide curfew, reported Daily Mirror. Nationwide protests against the government intensified over the past few days resulting in an increase in incidents of clashes with the security forces deployed at protest sites.
Uncertainty looms over who will take over the post of the Prime Minister in the island nation going through one of its most difficult phases, with the principal opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), confirming earlier that its leader Sajith Premadasa would not accept the PM’s post in an interim government. “Effective immediately I have tendered my resignation as Prime Minister to the President,” Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a tweet. Following Mahinda’s resignation, several cabinet ministers, including the health minister, also tendered their resignations.
Earlier in the day, more than a hundred protesters were injured on Monday at the Galle Face protest site during violent clashes resulting in nationwide curfew in the country. Groups of pro- and anti-government activists clashed in the country’s capital Colombo amid the state of emergency, which had been imposed on Friday, and a nationwide strike demanding the resignation of the President in the wake of the deteriorating crisis. The island’s police introduced a curfew until further notice, deploying tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters, according to Adaderana news outlet.
“While emotions are running high in #lka, I urge our general public to exercise restraint and remember that violence only begets violence. The economic crisis we’re in needs an economic solution which this administration is committed to resolving,” Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a tweet shortly before resigning.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting a large number of the citizens.
The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a fall in tourism during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as reckless economic policies, like the government’s move last year to ban chemical fertilizers in a bid to make Sri Lanka’s agriculture “100% organic”. Due to an acute shortage of foreign exchange, Sri Lanka recently defaulted on the entirety of its foreign debt amounting to about USD 51 billion.
Meanwhile, former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday condemned violence against the peaceful protesters at the Galle Face area. “GoGotaGama which had been a peaceful demonstration was attacked today. We completely condemn this act of thuggery. We all have to accept responsibility for this. The response we gave to the crisis was not enough,” Wickremesinghe said in a statement. “There is no law and order in the country today. I state here that not only the Prime Minister but the entire Government must resign. But it is not enough for a government to step down,” he added. Wickremesinghe advocated for a small government without party affiliation that is not burdensome to the public. “For a change, there should be a small Government without party affiliation that is not burdensome to the public. If we cannot do this then I think it would be better to close down Parliament,” he said.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung on Monday condemned the violence against protesters. “We condemn the violence against peaceful protesters today, and call on the government to conduct a full investigation, including the arrest and prosecution of anyone who incited violence. Our sympathies are with those injured today and we urge calm and restraint across the island,” Julie Chung tweeted.