In Sri Lanka, a political earthquake in the midst of an economic collapse

by time news

While taking selfies, they happily jumped on the beds, dipped in the pool, prepared snacks in the kitchens and tested the gym. On Saturday July 9, the Sri Lankans invaded the palace and offices of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo.

After braving the barricades and the rows of deployed police, a human tide converged on the symbolic places of the executive, also storming the residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The unprecedented exploration of the presidential residence by the crowds continued this Sunday in calm, with jubilation and curiosity.

The triumph of a determined people

Broadcast on social networks, these unreal images celebrate the victory of a population which for months has been demanding the resignation of the president and, with it, the fall of his powerful family clan, accused of having precipitated the country into an abyssal economic crisis. . Impoverished and angry, the protesters won their standoff: Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the capital under military escort shortly before the popular onslaught and made it known that he would resign on July 13. Its prime minister, appointed to the rescue in May, also offered to step down.

“Coming on foot, by bicycle or by train because of the shortage of gasoline, the demonstrators showed great determination, testifies Harshana Silva, local journalist. Despite tear gas canisters and shots aimed at dispersing them, they did not back down, ready to risk their lives. »

The demonstrators had gathered on the Galle Face protest site, on the edge of the seafront, opposite the presidential offices, the gates of which they climbed. Law enforcement was overwhelmed. “People managed to wrest from an extremely powerful president the promise of his resignation: it is historic”, notes lawyer Bhavani Fonseka, an analyst at the Center for Policy Alternatives.

A “total collapse” of the economy

The patience of the Sri Lankans was at an end. With record inflation of 54.6% in June, the economic crisis has worsened and accentuated shortages of food, medicine, electricity and fuel. In April, Sri Lanka defaulted on its external debt of 51 billion dollars (50 billion euros). The economy of this island of 22 million inhabitants is facing a “total collapse”according to the Prime Minister, while the crisis is blamed on the stoppage of tourism and the loss of foreign currency due to the Covid-19.

Like the experts, the population nevertheless saw the impact of poor management by the Rajapaksa clan, which dominates the political life of the country. Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president’s older brother, was elected president in 2005, in an aggressive nationalist policy that allowed him to crush the Tamil rebellion, with his brother then in the defense. Since then, the duo, which launched ambitious projects to transform the country, was suspected of corruption by the population.

“The July 9 seizure of presidential residences and offices is telling, because these buildings are luxuriously maintained with public money, while the government claims that it no longer has any for basic necessities, analyzes human rights defender Ruki Fernando. The spirit of public defiance and resistance of this grassroots movement to hold those responsible to account will be essential to resolving the country’s challenges. »

Where is Gotabaya Rajapaksa?

Between hope and defeat, the Sri Lankan capital is feeling the brunt of the political earthquake caused by these monster demonstrations. Where is Gotabaya Rajapaksa located? Some sources say so on board a military vessel off the island. “The situation is unprecedented and remains unpredictable, alerts Bhavani Fonseka. Especially since the president and the prime minister have not yet resigned. A peaceful transition and political stability are essential to resolve the economic crisis. » From the streets to Parliament, the island on the edge of chaos faces great uncertainties.

——–

More than three months of protests

1is avril. Hundreds of demonstrators attempt to storm President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence in Colombo and demand his resignation. The president proclaims a state of emergency, but demonstrations escalate in the following days.

12 avril. The country, short of foreign currency, defaulted on the repayment of its external debt of 51 billion dollars.

April 28, then May 6. General strikes paralyze the country.

June 3. The government, which fears a famine, asks for help from the United Nations.

July 9th. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees his palace in Colombo, stormed by hundreds of demonstrators.

You may also like

Leave a Comment