Sri Lanka is marred by violent protests due to the economic collapse under the Rajapaksha regime
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday asked protestors to come forward and join governance. It was after weeks of violent protests and change of the Prime Minister that government is trying a news strategy to deal with protests, which often turn violent.
The invitation for came at the protests completed 50 days recently. The protestors which include mainly young people are camping outside the office of President Mahinda Rajapaksha. They hold him and his family responsible for the Sri Lanka’s worst economic crises and they want that must take responsibility and resign.
The Prime Minister is also supervising the proposed constitutional reforms which are expected to clip President powers. The said reform will also expand the powers of Council of Ministers led by the Prime Minister.
He explained in a statement that he wants the governance to be broad-based and inclusive. He wants lawmakers, experts and youth to work together for the revival of Sri Lankan economy.
“The youth are calling for a change in the existing system. They also want to know the current issues. Therefore, I propose to appoint four youth representatives to each of these 15 committees,” Wickremesinghe said.
Sri Lanka and the deepening crises:
From past few months Sri Lanka is disrupted by unprecedented economic crises mainly due to the populist policies of Rajapaksha’s. The economic disruption is intensified by the violent protests which also led to loss of lives on the island nation.
Sri Lanka is on the verge of bankruptcy. It has already defaulted on its foreign loans and is experiencing severe shortages of necessities such as cooking gas, fuel, and medicines. People have been forced to wait in long lines for hours in order to purchase goods, and many have come away empty-handed.
The country’s foreign currency reserves have been reduced to just enough to cover two weeks’ worth of imports.
Last month, authorities announced that they would suspend repayment of nearly $7 billion in foreign debt due this year. Sri Lanka is required to pay $25 billion by 2026. The Indian Ocean Island nation’s total foreign debt is $51 billion.
The economic crises got aggravated with the protests and resulting violence. On May 9, Rajapaksa supporters attacked peaceful protesters, sparking violence. Nine people were killed, including a governing party lawmaker, and the homes of Cabinet ministers were set on fire.
The unrest nearly brought the Rajapaksa dynasty to an end. Three of the president’s siblings and a nephew had already resigned from their positions in the Cabinet. President’s brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa also resigned as prime minister.
It was in these circumstances former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe took the reins despite have no stand in Parliament. He has kept the Finance portfolio for himself and is continuously working with multilateral organizations and other nations to bring back Sri Lanka on its feet.
Appointment by ‘Youth Parliament’:
Wickremesinghe’s proposal calls for appointment youth representatives by the so-called “youth parliament,” with the other three coming from protesting groups and other activist organizations. “The methodology used to choose these individuals can be decided by the youth organizations themselves,” he said.
Setting up broad-based parliament committees is possible under the current constitution but a lot of legal churning is required. It also includes approval of the Supreme Court and two-third majority in Parliament. The Prime Minister didn’t mentioned anything concrete on when the bill will be introduced in the parliament.
There was no immediate comment by the protesting youth on his proposal. But they also don’t have much of choices as they understand that the President by appointing Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister has bought at least some time for himself. He might not give the office that easily now. The optimal option is to join the process and table their demands in the Parliament.
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