Tag: Sri Lanka Crisis

Embattled Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had declared a state of emergency with effect from May 6 midnight, the second time in just over a month amidst growing countrywide anti-government protests over the economic crisis.

"160 million dollars has been received from the World Bank and a grant from the ADB (Asian Development Bank) is also expected," Wickremesinghe said.

Sri Lanka Crisis - No Petrol Posters At Pumps

Vacated after the controversial resignation of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the elder brother of President Gotabaya, Wickremesinghe is to take up the premiership for the record sixth time in the island nation.

A couple of days after Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as Sri Lankan Prime Minister, his brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday said he will appoint a new Prime Minister and cabinet this week.

Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family will remain at the Trincomalee naval base until normalcy returns to the island nation following widespread violence that caused him to flee Colombo, Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne announced on Wednesday.

The whereabouts of Mahinda Rajapaksa has been speculated since his resignation on Monday. It was reported that Mahinda had left his office-cum-official residence, Temple Trees.

Reports have also revealed that Rajapaksa's second son, Yositha, who was also the former Prime Minister's Secretary, and his family had left the country on Monday.

The resignation of the prime minister has automatically annulled the Cabinet and the country is currently being run by his younger brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

On Monday night, anti-government protesters surrounded the Prime Minister's official residence in Colombo, Temple Trees, and tried to enter it. Later, they burnt vehicles parked outside the house.

Mahinda Rajapaksa turned in his resignation to his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, as the nation was rocked by clashes between the supporters of the Rajapaksa family and its opponents, and by police attempts to contain the protests.

Amid the anti-government protests across the islands nation, a government MP was found dead with gunshot injuries after he fled the spot when his vehicle was blocked by the protesters on whom he allegedly opened fire.

Prime Minister Mahinda, 76, sent his resignation letter to the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after violent scenes were witnessed in Colombo.

In the past three years, the group that faced the most serious challenges in Sri Lanka is the working class, and the day-to-day challenges they face are even more intense today, Xinhua news agency quoted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as saying.

With the overarching aim of providing critical medical aid to Sri Lanka during the ongoing crisis, INS Gharial, as part of Mission SAGAR IX, reached Colombo on Friday to deliver the consignment of medicines.