Lankan PM quits, curfew imposed as lawmaker kills protester, self
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa quit on Monday, as an outbreak of political violence killed five people including an MP and wounded almost 200.
Lawmaker Amarakeerthi Athukorala from the ruling party shot at two people — killing a 27-year-old man — and then took his own life ater being surrounded by a mob of anti-government protesters outside Colombo, police said.
And another ruling-party politician who was not named opened fire on anti-government protesters in the southern town of Weeraketiya, killing two and wounding five, according to police.
Sri Lanka has suffered months of blackouts and dire shortages of food, fuel and medicines in its worst economic crisis since independence.
This sparked weeks of overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, as well as his brother the prime minister.
On Monday scores of Rajapaksa loyalists attacked unarmed protesters camping outside the president’s office on a seafront promenade in downtown Colombo, AFP reporters said.
“We were hit, the media were hit, women and children were hit,” one witness said, asking not to be named.
Police fired tear gas and water cannon and declared an immediate curfew in Colombo, which was later widened to include the entire South Asian island nation of 22 million people.
A total of 181 people were hospitalised, a Colombo National Hospital spokesman said. Eight were injured elsewhere.
Multiple atacks on houses and election offices of lawmakers were also reported. Pro-government supporters were atacked in at least four locations as they were returning from Colombo, media reported. The houses of at least two mayors were also set on fire, police sources told Reuters.
“Strongly condemn the violent acts taking place by those inciting & participating, irrespective of political allegiances,” President Rajapaksa tweeted. “Violence won’t solve the current problems.”
Mahinda Rajapaksa tendered his resignation as prime minister, saying it was to pave the way for a unity government — but it was unclear if the opposition would cooperate.
In his resignation leter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, the prime minister said he was quiting to help form an interim, unity government.
“Multiple stakeholders have indicated the best solution to the present crisis is the formation of an interim all-party government,” the leter said. “Therefore, I have tendered my resignation so the next steps can be taken in accordance with the Constitution.”
Nalaka Godahewa, a government spokesman, said all cabinet members had also stepped down.
COLOMBO: Shots were fired from inside the Sri Lankan prime minister’s official residence on Monday, as thousands of protesters breached the main gate and torched a truck at the entrance.
Police also fired tear gas to push back protesters retaliating against an atack on them earlier in the day by those loyal to the outgoing premier Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Police sources confirmed that shots were fired in the air to prevent the crowd breaching the inner security ring of the residence where Rajapaksa, who resigned as premier earlier in the day, was holed up.
Witnesses saw several tear gas cannisters hit the US embassy compound located across from the residence, which is known as Temple Trees and is a key symbol of state power in the South Asian island.
Officials said the military deployed hundreds of troops to guard the outgoing premier and his aides at the residence ater protesters pulled down a rear gate.
The thousands of protesters had defied an indefinite curfew declared earlier in the day to maintain their siege on the residence.
Elsewhere, police reported dozens of homes of ruling party politicians had been atacked by angry mobs across the island.
Protesters and Sri Lanka’s religious leaders blame Rajapaksa for instigating supporters to atack unarmed protestors who had been demonstrating peacefully since April 9.
They have been demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the outgoing premier’s younger brother, over the country’s worst economic crisis since independence.
A nationwide curfew has been imposed, on top of the state of emergency that Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa — the prime minister’s younger brother, referred to as Gota — declared last week in the face of escalating protests.
The island nation of 22 million people has suffered prolonged power cuts and shortages of essentials, including fuel, cooking gas and medicines, and the government is let with as litle as $50 million of useable foreign reserves.
Sri Lankans have been taking to the streets in largely peaceful protests and demanding that the Rajapaksas step down.
In his resignation leter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, the prime minister said he was quiting to help form an interim, unity government.