Parliament blocks push to condemn president

SRI LANKA’S parliament yesterday voted against fast-tracking an opposition move to condemn President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, as the prime minister warned that the country was in a precarious economic situation and down to its last day of petrol supplies.

Lawmakers voted 119 to 68 against fast-tracking the largely symbolic motion through parliament, which reconvened for the first time since violence flared last week and the prime minister quit. It is likely to be debated later in the week.

If the motion eventually passes, it could increase the pressure on the president to resign, following his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa who stood down as PM in response to the economic crisis that has triggered violent protests.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, the new prime minister, said: “At the moment, we only have petrol stocks for a single day. The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives,” he said.

Foreign reserves had come close to zero from $7.5 billion (R119.5bn) in November 2019, he added, with the country requiring $75 million in the next few days to keep the economy running. Essential medicines had run out. Power cuts could extend to as much as 15 hours a day because of the lack of fuel, which is mostly imported. He said he planned to ask for foreign assistance, privatise SriLankan Airlines and seek parliamentary approval to increase Treasury bill issuance to 4 trillion rupees ($11.27bn) from 3 trillion.

More than a month of peaceful protests against the government turned deadly last week when supporters of former the former PM stormed an anti-government protest site in the capital, Colombo. Days of clashes between protesters, government supporters and police left nine dead and more than 300 injured. Police said yesterday they had arrested two MPs over last week’s violence