Sri Lanka anti-govt protests continue

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, May 10, (AP): Defying a nationwide curfew in Sri Lanka, several hundred protesters continued to chant slogans against the government on Tuesday, a day after violent clashes left four dead and prompted the resignation of the prime minister, who is blamed along with his brother, the president, for leading the country into its worst economic crisis in decades.

Protesters swarmed the entrance to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office in the capital, Colombo, for the 32nd day to demand that he follow in his brother’s footsteps and quit. Thousands of protesters have crowded the area outside Rajapaksa’s office for weeks, but the number dropped to hundreds on Tuesday due to a 36-hour curfew imposed after the clashes a day earlier.

A government decree issued Monday night confirmed the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

With the resignation, the Cabinet was also dissolved, creating an administrative vacuum. Even though the president has the most power under the constitution, a prime minister and Cabinet are needed to manage the government.

The prime minister is also the next in line if the presidency falls vacant.

Religious leaders and the lawyers’ Bar Association of Sri Lanka were in talks with political leaders on the formation of a new Cabinet.

For months, people have been forced to stand in long lines to buy essentials because a foreign exchange crisis has caused imports of everything from milk to fuel to plunge, spawning dire food shortages and rolling power cuts. Doctors have warned of crippling shortages of life-saving drugs in hospitals, and the government has suspended payments on $7 billion in foreign debt due this year alone.

Outside the president’s office on Tuesday, protesters shouted slogans for Rajapaksa to resign and rebuilt the tents damaged in an attack Monday by government supporters.

One of the protesters, software engineer Chamath Bogahawatta, said the government “did something very despicable by bringing in people to provoke us.”

“There will be more people joining us. How long are they going to rule a country under curfew?” he said.

Violence erupted on Monday in front of the Rajapaksas’ offices as government supporters hit protesters with wooden and iron poles. Authorities swiftly deployed armed troops in many parts of the country and imposed a curfew until Wednesday.

The violence by government supporters triggered immediate anger and chaos, and people started attacking ruling party politicians. More than a dozen houses belonging to ruling party leaders were vandalized and set ablaze.

At least four people including a ruling party lawmaker were killed and nearly 200 were injured Monday night.