Sri Lanka leader vows to shed powers, appoint prime minister

COLOMBO, LANKA » Sri Lanka's president on Wednesday promised to appoint a new prime minister, empower the Parliament and abolish the allpowerful executive presidential system as reforms to stabilize the country engulfed in a political crisis and violence triggered by the worst economic crises in memory.

In a televised address, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he without partisanship condemns attacks on peaceful protesters by mobs who came to support his brother and former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who resigned Monday.

“I am taking steps to appoint within this week a new prime minister who has the trust of a majority in Parliament, who can win over the confidence of the people and a new Cabinet to control the current situation, to stop the country from falling into anarchy and to continue the government's functions that are at a standstill,” Gotabaya Rajapaksa said.

“I will make way for the new prime minister to present a new program of work and implement it.”

Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he will also give away much of his powers to Parliament and when some normalcy returns, take steps to abolish the country's powerful executive presidential system.

The president's speech came as authorities deployed armored vehicles and troops in the streets of the capital Wednesday, two days after pro-government mobs attacked peaceful protesters, triggering a wave of violence across the country.

Security forces have been ordered to shoot those deemed to be participating in the violence, as sporadic acts of arson and vandalism continued despite a strict nationwide curfew that began Monday evening.

Anti-government protesters have been demanding the resignations of President Rajapaksa and his brother, over a debt crisis that has nearly bankrupted Sri Lanka and left its people facing severe shortages of fuel, food and other essentials. In the past few days, nine people have died and more than 200 have been injured in violent attacks in which mobs set fire to buildings and vehicles.

Armored trucks with soldiers riding on top rolled into some areas of Colombo. Defying the curfew, some protesters regrouped opposite the president's office to continue demonstrations that began over a month ago. Police announced over loudspeakers that it is illegal to stay in public places during the curfew.

Videos posted on social media showed lines of military trucks moving out of the capital, along with soldiers riding on motorbikes and setting up checkpoints across the country amid fears that a political vacuum could pave the way for a military takeover.

The Defense Ministry's top official, Kamal Gunaratne, denied speculation of a military takeover at a news conference held with the country's army and navy chiefs.

“None of our officers has a desire to take over the government. It has never happened in our country, and it is not easy to do it here,” Gunaratne said. President Rajapaksa is a former top army officer and remains the country's official defense minister.

Gunaratne said the army will return to its barracks once the security situation normalizes.

The U.S. State Department expressed concern over the military deployment, with spokesman Ned Price saying it was “closely monitoring” the situation.

The prime minister's departure has created an administrative vacuum with no Cabinet, which dissolved automatically with his resignation.