Sunday, February 5, 2023
No 1 epaper in Sri Lanka
  • News
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Foreign
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Political Analysis
  • Inside Politics
  • EPAPERPDF
  • සිංහලSINHALA
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Foreign
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Political Analysis
  • Inside Politics
  • EPAPERPDF
  • සිංහලSINHALA
No Result
View All Result
Mawratanews.lk | Sri Lanka Latest Sinhala News and Headlines
No Result
View All Result
Home Foreign

Sri Lankan protest resume as unpopular Premier Ranil Wickramasinghe tapped as new president

July 21, 2022
in Foreign, News
A A
Sri Lankan protest resume as unpopular Premier Ranil Wickramasinghe tapped as new president

Protests resumed in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo Wednesday shortly after lawmakers elected the country’s widely unpopular prime minister and acting president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the new president. Wickremesinghe’s election to the country’s highest office predictably infuriated the protesters, who spent weeks staging demonstrations in Colombo demanding that both he and the former president resign over their perceived mismanagement of the country’s economy.

Wickremesinghe replaces Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a political ally who fled the country last week before formally resigning in the face of the widespread protests over a months-long economic crisis that has left many Sri Lankans struggling to find or afford basic necessities like food and fuel.

Protesters gathered outside the presidential office in Colombo on Wednesday afternoon, chanting the now-familiar refrain, “Go, Ranil, go
Wickremesinghe was elected by parliamentarians in a process laid out in Sri Lanka’s constitution to serve for the remainder of ex-President Rajapaksa’s term, until 2024. He has been prime minister six times but never president.
Rajapaksa first flew to the Maldives and then to Singapore last week before officially tendering his resignation.

Both men have been the targets of the protests for weeks, and they remain hugely unpopular among Sri Lankans, who blame them for mismanaging the country’s economy.

“He is not popular with the public,” Nilanthi Samanarayake, a research director and Asia expert at the Washington thinktank CNA, told CBS News on Wednesday. “He is still, though, a veteran Sri Lankan politician… and today he received the most votes in parliament.”
But while the country’s lawmakers may have chosen him, the mood on the streets was unambiguous. The demonstrators see both Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa as stalwarts of the country’s political elite, and the protests were expected to grow over the coming days.

Last week, months of simmering anti-government demonstrations reached a crescendo when protesters stormed and occupied the official residence of the president and the office of the prime minister. Wickremesinghe’s residence was also set on fire.

Sri Lanka’s newly elected president Ranil Wickremesinghe addresses the media representatives during his visit at the Gangaramaya Buddhist temple in Colombo on July 20, 2022. – Sri Lanka’s president-elect on July 20 vowed to take tough action against anyone resorting to what he called the undemocratic means that led to his predecessor’s ouster. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)

If Wickremesinghe manages to stay in power despite the protesters beating on his door, his biggest, most immediate challenge will be lifting the country out of the bankruptcy that has made the lives of common Sri Lankans such a struggle.
For months, people have faced acute shortages of electricity, gas and food as the country’s cash reserves have run extremely low, leaving the government simply unable to purchase imports.

According to Samanarayake, the public’s scorn for their leaders is not entirely misplaced.

“The economic crisis was a long time coming after decades of poor management of the economy and a failure to adapt to sustainable debt management practices, to the point where the country defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history in April,” she told CBS News.

Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe both blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for depriving Sri Lanka of its vital tourism income, but their political foes have pointed also at corruption, and the economic mismanagement noted by Samanarayake, as multiplying factors behind the country’s woes.
Soon after Rajapaksa’s exit, when he took over as the acting president, Wickremesinghe appeared to suggest there was a conspiracy against the political leadership in Sri Lanka, and he ordered the military to do whatever was necessary to restore order and “end this fascist threat to democracy.”

“We can’t allow the destruction of state property… we can’t allow fascists to take over,” he said as he declared a state of emergency. It wasn’t immediately clear if he would stick to that hard line as the protests resumed on Wednesday.
Much will likely hinge on his ability to quickly secure support from the International Monetary Fund as a financial lifeline for Sri Lanka’s economy. Wickremesinghe played a key role in talks with the IMF as prime minister, seeking a $3 billion bailout package.

“Even though he is not popular at home, he does have credibility and relationships with international stakeholders, and the discussions with the IMF now have a fighting chance now that stability has been restored to the political process,” Samanarayake told CBS News.

( Curtesy CBS News)

Share50Tweet32SendShare13
Previous Post

American ambassador congratulates new president! Prompts to uphold democratic values !

Next Post

Droupadi Murmu makes history, becomes India’s first tribal woman President

MORE NEWS

A single man bravely objected to Wijedasa-Karuta-Ruwan-Rosi, who had come to garland D. S. Senanayaka’s statue, surrounded by guards! VIDEO
News

A single man bravely objected to Wijedasa-Karuta-Ruwan-Rosi, who had come to garland D. S. Senanayaka’s statue, surrounded by guards! VIDEO

February 4, 2023
Hartal begins in the north while freedom is celebrated in the south! The stores are closed. The black flags have been raised! A large crowd has begun to walk to Batticaloa! VIDEO
News

Hartal begins in the north while freedom is celebrated in the south! The stores are closed. The black flags have been raised! A large crowd has begun to walk to Batticaloa! VIDEO

February 4, 2023
Catholic fathers are taking to the streets against the police and thugs in Maradana’s struggle! VIDEO
News

Catholic fathers are taking to the streets against the police and thugs in Maradana’s struggle! VIDEO

February 4, 2023
The police break into the Socialist Party office in search of Maradana activists! A tense situation! A serious charge that the cops arrived drunk! Here it is: the video! VIDEO
News

The police break into the Socialist Party office in search of Maradana activists! A tense situation! A serious charge that the cops arrived drunk! Here it is: the video! VIDEO

February 4, 2023
The police have identified the couple who murdered SHADES owner, a millionaire businessman! The couple has not yet left the country!
News

The police have identified the couple who murdered SHADES owner, a millionaire businessman! The couple has not yet left the country!

February 4, 2023
Peaceful protesters detained last night denied access to lawyers – Saliya Pieris
News

Peaceful protesters detained last night denied access to lawyers – Saliya Pieris

February 4, 2023
Load More
Leave Comment

Free Newsletter

Register for our weekly epaper for latest news updates.

MORE NEWS

A single man bravely objected to Wijedasa-Karuta-Ruwan-Rosi, who had come to garland D. S. Senanayaka’s statue, surrounded by guards! VIDEO
News

A single man bravely objected to Wijedasa-Karuta-Ruwan-Rosi, who had come to garland D. S. Senanayaka’s statue, surrounded by guards! VIDEO

February 4, 2023

A lone worrier showed his opposition to Wijedasa, karu, Rosi, Ruwan...

Read more
Hartal begins in the north while freedom is celebrated in the south! The stores are closed. The black flags have been raised! A large crowd has begun to walk to Batticaloa! VIDEO

Hartal begins in the north while freedom is celebrated in the south! The stores are closed. The black flags have been raised! A large crowd has begun to walk to Batticaloa! VIDEO

February 4, 2023
Catholic fathers are taking to the streets against the police and thugs in Maradana’s struggle! VIDEO

Catholic fathers are taking to the streets against the police and thugs in Maradana’s struggle! VIDEO

February 4, 2023
The police break into the Socialist Party office in search of Maradana activists! A tense situation! A serious charge that the cops arrived drunk! Here it is: the video! VIDEO

The police break into the Socialist Party office in search of Maradana activists! A tense situation! A serious charge that the cops arrived drunk! Here it is: the video! VIDEO

February 4, 2023
The police have identified the couple who murdered SHADES owner, a millionaire businessman! The couple has not yet left the country!

The police have identified the couple who murdered SHADES owner, a millionaire businessman! The couple has not yet left the country!

February 4, 2023
Peaceful protesters detained last night denied access to lawyers – Saliya Pieris

Peaceful protesters detained last night denied access to lawyers – Saliya Pieris

February 4, 2023
Load More

One of the best Sri Lanka Latest News Website and Sinhala language newspaper with Sunday editions, published by Free Media Independent Networks Pvt Ltd.

Browse by Category

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Foreign
  • Gurudawa
  • My Serendib
  • News
  • Politics
  • Rajya Rahas
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Latest news

A single man bravely objected to Wijedasa-Karuta-Ruwan-Rosi, who had come to garland D. S. Senanayaka’s statue, surrounded by guards! VIDEO

A single man bravely objected to Wijedasa-Karuta-Ruwan-Rosi, who had come to garland D. S. Senanayaka’s statue, surrounded by guards! VIDEO

February 4, 2023
Hartal begins in the north while freedom is celebrated in the south! The stores are closed. The black flags have been raised! A large crowd has begun to walk to Batticaloa! VIDEO

Hartal begins in the north while freedom is celebrated in the south! The stores are closed. The black flags have been raised! A large crowd has begun to walk to Batticaloa! VIDEO

February 4, 2023

Free Newsletter

Register for our weekly epaper for latest news updates.

Copyright © 2019 -2021 Free Media Independent Networks Pvt Ltd, All Rights Reserved. Solution by hodama.net

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Foreign
  • Entertainment
  • Business
  • Political Analysis
  • Inside Politics
  • EPAPER
  • සිංහල

Copyright © 2019 -2021 Free Media Independent Networks Pvt Ltd, All Rights Reserved. Solution by hodama.net

Go to mobile version