People shout slogans against Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and demand that Rajapaksa family politicians step down, during a protest amid the country’s economic crisis, on a main road in Colombo, Sri Lanka, April 4, 2022. (Reuters)
Sri Lankan police fire tear gas and water cannons to quell protests in front of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa’s home
Sri Lankan police fired tear gas and water cannons at some 2,000 irate protesters who defied curfew orders and tried to storm Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s residence in Tangalle on Monday, demanding his resignation amid the worst economic crisis in the country. Around 2,000 people descended near the Prime Minister’s residence known as Carlton House in Tangalle, situated 200 km south of Colombo, and pulled down barricades chanting anti-Rajapaksa slogans.
Interestingly, Tangalle, which has a Sinhalese-majority population, is considered to be the bastion of the powerful Rajapaksa clan.
According to eyewitness accounts, angry protesters managed to dodge the police and were seen running toward Rajapaksa’s gates clamouring for his resignation.
Sri Lanka gets new finance minister, central bank governor as unrest grows
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa dropped his brother as finance minister and sought a new central bank governor on Monday.
The president’s nephew resigned as sports minister in the government that was disbanded while the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) governor offered to quit. The CBSL delayed its monetary policy announcement scheduled for Tuesday.
Former CBSL official P. Nandalal Weerasinghe said on Monday that he had accepted an offer from Rajapaksa to become the central bank’s next governor.
“The president called me and made the offer, and I have accepted,” Weerasinghe told Reuters.
The president’s media office said Justice Minister Ali Sabry was named finance minister, replacing Basil Rajapaksa, the president’s younger brother, who was due to visit Washington this month for talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a loan programme.
Ministers of foreign affairs, education and highways will keep their positions. — Reuters
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