SL: New prime minister extends support to protesters demanding prez’s resignation
COLOMBO: In an unusual move, Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has extended public support to the protesters, who have been camping at a popular beachfront here for over a month calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation for mishandling the country’s worst economic crisis.
The Prime Minister on Saturday said he had appointed a committee to look after the interests of the ‘Gota Go Home’ village protesters who have been camping at Colombo’s Galle Face Green since April 9.
Wickremesinghe, who was appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as Prime Minister after asking his elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa to quit, said the young protesters in the village would be safeguarded and their views would be sought for the shaping of future policy.
In an interview with the BBC Sinhala Service, the Prime Minister said the ‘Gota Go Gama’ protest should be continued to bring a change in the political system in the country and let the country’s youth take the responsibility to lead.
Curfew lifted for Buddhist festival
A nationwide curfew was fully lifted on Sunday to allow Sri Lankans to celebrate the Buddhist festival of Vesak, while new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe assembled a cabinet to resolve the island nation’s economic and political crisis. The curfew was imposed on May 9 after deadly clashes that forced Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign as premier, leaving his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to rule on as president.
Many public and private buildings were flying the multicoloured Buddhist flag, while residents visited temples dressed in all-white for Sunday’s festival, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha.
Govt probes LTTE’s plan to attack on May 18
Sri Lanka on Sunday said it is taking all further steps to strengthen the security of the country as it investigates the report published in Indian media that the banned LTTE is planning an attack in the island nation on May 18, coinciding with the Mullivaikal anniversary that marks the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009.
The Sri Lankan defence ministry in a statement said The Hindu newspaper has published a report on May 13 quoting Indian intelligence that the banned LTTE is planning to launch an attack in Sri Lanka on May 18.
“After inquiring about the above information, the Indian intelligence services have informed Sri Lanka that the information has been given as general information and further informed that the investigations will be carried out in this regard and action will be taken to inform Sri Lanka about it,” the statement said, amidst the unprecedented economic crisis and subsequent political turmoil faced by the country.