More

    Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Flees

    GovernanceAccountabilityLanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Flees
    - Advertisment -

    Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Flees

    Tens of thousands of protestors arriving from the site of the GotaGoGama agitation broke the security fences outside the president’s residence and took over the premises. Colombo’s air has been rife with rumours throughout the day and clear news has been hard to come by.

    Things are changing rapidly in Sri Lanka and this is a developing story.

    Tens of thousands of protestors arriving from the site of the GotaGoGama agitation broke the security fences outside the president’s residence and took over the premises – some posing for selfies in the presidential office, others in the swimming pool, and yet others seated on the comfortable sofas of the palace. But most were on the lookout for the president, who they announced is now fugitive.

    Protestors were met with water-canon and teargas and dozens were injured, but the sound of gunshots reverberating through the air angered people further and their eventual taking over the premises of the presidential palace and the police began withdrawing.

    - Advertisement -

    Rajapaksa has not been seen thus far and there are various accounts of where he is hiding. Colombo’s air has been rife with rumours throughout the day and clear news has been hard to come by.

    Some accounts suggest that he is inside the army headquarters. Videos are also circulating of military convoys being blocked by people on the highway. Some sources say that he is in a safe ship sailing towards the southern city of Hambantota, close to his ancestral home. A video of suitcases being loaded on a cruise ship are also circulating.

    It is already being called the ‘July 9th Protests’.

    Sri Lanka protests GotaGoGama Rajapaksa flees Colombo

    48 decisive hours

    Rajapaksa should have seen it coming when, on Thursday, the influential Buddhist monks from various chapters of Sri Lankan Buddhist clergy began a hunger strike or starve-to-death protest in Colombo. They demanded the Rajapaksa step down –  for the first time in the past three turbulent months.

    The monks have been his foremost supporters, but they eventually gauged the palpable anger among Sri Lankans over the monks’ support for Rajapaksa, whose Sinhala majoritarian politics had a special space among the Buddhist clergy. Together, the monks and the Rajapaksas have fanned hate politics against non-Sinhalas, mainly Muslims and Tamils in the island nation. The Bodu Bala Sena, an extreme nationalist Sinhalese Buddhist group known for its violence against Muslims in recent years has had Rajapaksa’s support.

    A court order to stop the monks from protesting helped them retrieve some of their lost moral authority as a senior monk announced that it was their duty to protect their country.

    “So do not bring these court orders and try to stop us,” the elder told court officials handing him the orders before news cameras.

    Clearly, a staggering 57.4 per cent inflation rate and steeply increasing food prices have hit home.

    Ranil holds cards close to his chest

    Things started falling in place for the protestors since rumblings among a handful of lawmakers supporting the president became public and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe began discussions with several party leaders about stepping down. But Wickremesinghe soon changed track and spoke of a leadership vacuum if he did so as word of the President fleeing caught up – Sri Lanka’s Constitution provides for the prime minister taking over in the event of the president’s resignation.

    But many law makers insist that the prime minister must resign and say that the Speaker of the country’s parliament to take charge.

    Even railway employees who brought the railway system to a standstill saying, en masse, that they did not have fuel to arrive at their duty stations have suddenly come out and started the train services to ferry people from the countryside to Colombo.

    This came together with a social media campaign asking the country’s defence forces to support the protests.

     

    Image: Wikimedia / AntanO

     

    Do also read: WFP Paints a Gloomy Picture as Sri Lankans Skip Meals

    - Advertisement -

    1 COMMENT

    1. Despite knowing which way things are headed politicians chose to bury their heads in sand, whether they stay or flee it is the masses who are suffering n will continue to suffer irrespective

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here

    Latest news

    The Silent Cradle: Housing and Financial Squeeze Chokes Maldivian Birth Rates

    The research, meticulously titled "Social and Economic Factors in Fertility in Maldives," delved deep into the experiences and perspectives of 479 women aged between 18 and 45, alongside valuable input from men and healthcare professionals through focused group discussions.

    India Launches Nationwide ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ to Empower Farmers and Advance Agriculture

    The ministry of agriculture and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will jointly implement the campaign with a broad coalition of stakeholders, including agricultural universities, state government departments, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and leading progressive farmers.

    UN Expert Probes Alleged Forcible Abandonment of Rohingya Refugees at Sea by Indian Navy

    Andrews reiterated the urgent need to end any forced repatriation of Rohingya refugees, who continue to face the threat of violence, persecution, and other severe human rights violations in their homeland.

    Colombo Bourse Buoyed by US-China Trade Truce and Regional Stability

    Sri Lanka's largest export market, the United States, looms with potential trade policy shifts.
    - Advertisement -

    Bangladesh Moves to Renegotiate Power Plant Tariffs Amid Mounting Capacity Payments

    Adding to the complexity, the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh has yet to complete six substations critical for evacuating electricity generated at the Meghnaghat hub. Sources say these substations are unlikely to be ready before August.

    Bangladesh: WB Approves $270m to Support Flood Recovery Efforts

    This project will help the country recover from this flood and build resilience to future floods by addressing damages to infrastructure, agriculture, and livelihoods in Eastern districts.

    Must read

    The Silent Cradle: Housing and Financial Squeeze Chokes Maldivian Birth Rates

    The research, meticulously titled "Social and Economic Factors in Fertility in Maldives," delved deep into the experiences and perspectives of 479 women aged between 18 and 45, alongside valuable input from men and healthcare professionals through focused group discussions.

    India Launches Nationwide ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ to Empower Farmers and Advance Agriculture

    The ministry of agriculture and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will jointly implement the campaign with a broad coalition of stakeholders, including agricultural universities, state government departments, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and leading progressive farmers.
    - Advertisement -

    More from the sectionRELATED
    Recommended to you