Acting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and two others were proposed by lawmakers as the three candidates for the July 20 Presidential election
Acting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and two others were proposed by lawmakers as the three candidates for the July 20 Presidential election
With a severe shortage in foreign exchange reserves, Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades. Further, the shortage of reserves is hampering the import of essentials such as food, fuel and medicines.
The acute economic crisis has also triggered a political crisis in the country and an uprising against the government. Doctors are warning people to not get sick while families are struggling to eat three meals a day in a country that was once an inspiration across South Asia for its expanding middle class and high per capita income.
Political stalemate persists in Sri Lanka
Mr. Wickremesinghe became acting President after Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned last week after fleeing to Singapore. Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared a state of emergency in the country.
Editorial | Fleeing, quitting: On the decline and fall of Gotabaya Rajapaksa
The Indian Union Government called for an all-party meeting over the Sri Lankan crisis on July 19 which will be addressed by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Here are the latest updates:
Colombo
Over 4,000 books gutted, 125-year-old piano damaged: Ranil Wickremesinghe
Sri Lanka’s acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that much of the contents in his private residence in Colombo were not salvageable after a group of irate anti-government protesters torched it on July 9, destroying his 125-year-old piano and more than 4,000 books, some of them centuries-old.
Mr. Wickremesinghe told CNN in an interview that much of its contents from his torched residence were not salvageable. A video released by Daily Mirror newspaper on Twitter on July 10 showed grim visuals of Mr. Wickremesinghe’s charred residence and a damaged sedan among others. Paintings and artworks were strewn across the house and the compound. – PTI
India – Sri Lanka
Indian official injured in crisis-hit Sri Lanka
A senior Indian government official posted in Sri Lanka sustained grievous injuries in an unprovoked assault, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said on July 19 as it urged its nationals to remain aware of the latest developments in the island nation and plan their movements and activities accordingly.
The Indian High Commission in a tweet said the relations between the people of India and Sri Lanka have always been cordial and friendly.
“In the current situation, #Indian nationals in #SriLanka are requested to remain aware of latest developments and accordingly plan their movements and activities. You may contact us when required,” it said.
In another tweet, the High Commission said its officials in the morning met “Vivek Varma, an Indian national and Director of Indian Visa Centre, who sustained grievous injuries in an unprovoked assault last night near Colombo”. The matter has been brought to the attention of the Sri Lankan authorities, it said. – PTI
Colombo
Ranil Wickremesinghe says he was not part of Rajapaksa administration
Ahead of the presidential election on July 20, Sri Lanka’s acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe has distanced himself from the Rajapaksa government, saying he was not in the “same administration” and was appointed to “handle the economy” of the bankrupt country.
“I’m not the same, people know that…I came here to handle the economy,” Mr. Wickremesinghe told CNN in an interview, as he sought to distance himself from Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the person under whom he had worked for the past two months to rescue the crisis-hit Sri Lankan economy.
Mr. Wickremesinghe said the erstwhile Rajapaksa regime was “covering up facts” about the country’s crippling financial crisis and assured the island nation’s beleaguered economy would stabilise by the end of next year. – PTI
India
All-party meet on Sri Lanka crisis
The Union Government called for an all-party meeting over the Sri Lankan crisis on July 19 which will be addressed by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
During a meeting of all parties convened ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Tamil Nadu-based DMK and AIADMK demanded that India should intervene in the crisis shrouding the neighbouring country.
After the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had said both Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will brief leaders of various political parties on the Sri Lankan crisis during an all-party meeting. It is not clear whether Ms. Sitharaman will address the meeting as she has tested Covid positive. – PTI
Colombo
Three-way fight for Sri Lankan Presidency
Acting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and two others were proposed by lawmakers on Tuesday as the three candidates for the July 20 Presidential election to pick the successor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa after he resigned following a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the economy.
Mr. Wickremesinghe, 73, will face-off against Dullas Alahapperuma, a 63-year-old staunch Sinhala Buddhist nationalist and a key member from the breakaway group of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party and the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 53, it was officially announced in Parliament.
Sajith Premadasa, the 55-year-old leader of Sri Lanka’s principal opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya, said on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from the race of President to provide support to Alahapperuma.
The 225-member Parliament is expected to elect the new president after July 20, who will serve the remaining term of former president Rajapaksa till November 2024. – PTI
Colombo
Security beefed up around Sri Lankan Parliament ahead of Presidential election
The security has been beefed up in and around Sri Lanka’s Parliament complex on Tuesday after the Speaker lodged a complaint with the Inspector General of Police calling for a detailed investigation to be conducted into certain inflammatory posts published on social media threatening Members of Parliament.
The complaint by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena came hours before Parliament was poised to accept the nominations for the post of President, which fell vacant last week after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and later resigned.
On Monday, Sri Lankan Members of Parliament from the ruling party Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) had complained of receiving threat messages on social media, warning them against voting for Sri Lanka’s Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Consequently, the police and the country’s armed forces have been stationed in and around the Parliament complex on Tuesday.
Police have warned that strict action would be taken against those who had created, published and circulated such threatening posts against lawmakers on social media. – PTI
Colombo
Sajith Premadasa withdraws candidacy for President
Leader of Sri Lanka’s main Opposition party withdrew his candidacy for President on Tuesday, throwing his support to another contender as lawmakers prepared to choose a successor to the ousted leader who fled the country last week.
Sajith Premadasa, leader of the main Opposition party, said he would back former government Minister and spokesman Dullas Alahapperuma, who was nominated on Tuesday by a breakaway faction of the ruling coalition. Marxist party leader Anura Dissanayake was also expected to contest Wednesday’s Parliamentary vote. – AP
Colombo
Sri Lankans to protest against Wickremesinghe’s bid for President
Sri Lankan students and other groups planned to protest on Tuesday against Ranil Wickremesinghe’s expected bid for President, as lawmakers gathered in Parliament to finalise candidates for the role. Six-time Prime Minister Wickremesinghe took over as acting President after a popular uprising amid a devastating economic crisis that forced previous incumbent Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee to Singapore and resign. Demonstrators, angered by rocketing prices and shortages of food and fuel, want Mr. Wickremesinghe gone too.
Inflation of over 50% and shortages of food, fuel and medicines have brought thousands onto the streets in months of protests that culminated in Rajapaksa’s ouster. – Reuters
( With inputs from agencies)
