Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a nationwide address on Wednesday announced that he will appoint a new Prime Minister and Cabinet ‘without any of the Rajapaksas’ this week. “This week I will appoint a Prime Minister and Cabinet that can command a majority in Parliament and can gain the confidence of the people of the country,” he said.
The President in his statement said: “A constitutional amendment will be moved to enact the content of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which will vest more powers with the parliament.”
President Gotabaya said, “I will appoint a young cabinet without any of the Rajapaksas,” adding that he has begun talks with political parties. Opposition parties have refused Rajapaksa’s overtures for a unity government to resolve a political deadlock and instead demanded his resignation.
“The new government’s Prime Minister will be awarded the opportunity to produce a new program and take this country forward,” he said.
The President is constitutionally empowered to run the country without a cabinet.
Speaking on the violence that erupted on Monday after weeks of anti-government protests, he said what happened on May 9 was very unfortunate. “The murders, assaults, acts of intimidation, destruction of property, and the series of heinous acts that followed cannot be justified at all,” the President said.
Gotabaya said that the Inspector General of Police has been instructed to conduct investigations.
‘Economy Will Collapse if No New Govt in 2 Days’
The announcement came hours after the Central Bank chief warned that the Sri Lankan economy will collapse unless a new government is urgently appointed. Nandalal Weerasinghe said it was critical that a new administration take charge by Friday or the country would suffer a catastrophe. “The economy will completely collapse and no one will be able to save it,” he said.
“The country was fast going down a slope when I took over just over a month ago. I thought we were able to apply the brakes, but with events of Monday the brakes no longer work.”
Weerasinghe also threatened to step down within weeks unless political stability was restored. “I have clearly told the president and other political party leaders that unless political stability is established in the next two weeks I will step down,” Weerasinghe told reporters.
As Sri Lanka faces its worst economic crisis, security forces fanned out on the streets to restore order after spasms of mob violence on Wednesday. Nine people have died since Monday due to clashes between anti-government demonstrators and supporters of President Rajapaksa, injuring more than 200.
Defence Chief Rules Out Military Coup
Security forces have largely curbed public disorder after they were deployed to enforce a nationwide curfew with orders to “shoot on sight” anyone engaged in looting or violence. Amid rumours of a looming military coup, Sri Lanka’s military chief rejected the speculations. “Don’t ever think that we are trying to capture power,” said Kamal Gunaratne. “The military has no such intentions.” He said it is likely the curfew will be removed tomorrow. “The situation is getting better and we are hopeful of lifting the curfew by tomorrow morning.”
The President said that the Sri Lanka Police and Three-Armed Forces have been ordered to strictly enforce the law against those who cause violence. “Steps will be taken to strictly enforce the law against those who planned, aided, promoted, and are connected to these events,” Gotabaya said referring to the attacks earlier this week while urging everyone to maintain calm.
Sri Lanka’s snowballing crisis has led citizens to blame the government led by Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family as reserves reduced to just about $50 million, stalling most imports and bringing massive shortages of essentials including cooking gas, fuel and medicine.
Hours after the violence escalated on Monday, Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president’s older brother, said he was resigning from the post of Prime Minister with the hope of a new, unity government taking over. Rajapaksa, head of a family that has dominated Sri Lanka’s politics for much of the past two decades, later had to be rescued from his Colombo residence by soldiers after it was besieged by an angry crowd.
The former leader is now being guarded at a naval base on the other side of the country after rumours he was preparing to flee Sri Lanka were denied by his son.
(With inputs from agencies)
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