The situation is insurgent on the island, crossed by an unprecedented economic crisis. The population, which has lived for months at the rhythm of the shortages of essential goods and power cuts, calls for the departure of the president.
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The Sri Lanka sinks into the crisis. After violent events throughout the country to claim the departure of President Gotabaya Rajapaska and his brother Mahinda, who occupies the position of Prime Minister, the government has decreed the state of emergency Friday 1 er April.
The army now has extensive powers to provide public order and can stop and hold people without a warrant. A thirty-six-hour curfew was also imposed until Monday, to try to prevent new events. The population prohibits out, to be on a public road, in a park, in a train or on the seaside, unless you have written authorization from the authorities. Sunday, the Ministry of Defense ordered the suspension of all social networks, Facebook, Twitter, Whastappp, Viber, YouTube.
These authoritarian measures have been taken after hundreds of people attempted to break into the president’s home in Colombo, the capital, in the night from Thursday to Friday at the Crees of “Va-T’en, Gota ” And others blocked traffic in several cities, set fire to military buses and police vehicles. The Chair attempted to reduce these protests to “extremist forces calling for an Arab spring”.
Serious economic crisis
The anger of the Sri Lankan is much deeper, nourished by the very serious economic crisis that the country has been going through for two years. The decline in tourism attendance due to the CVIV-19 epidemic, the reduction in the diaspora revenue transfers during the health crisis and the decisions taken completely by the government as the decline in VAT and the elimination. Several taxes have dried up the crates of a crown state under $ 51 billion.
The Sri Lanka no longer has any exchange reserves and dollars to import the property necessary for the operation of the island. The country lacks everything and lives in the rhythm of the shortages and electricity cuts since February. There is no more gas, more gas, more medicines, food store shelves are empty and inflation beats each month records (18.7% in March). There is no longer a drop of fuel in the service stations and transportation of goods and people across the country is seriously disturbed.
The management of Gameyaba Rajapaska, elected in November 2019, seven months after the Easter attacks against churches and hotels by the Islamic State Organization and who had made 258 dead, is severely questioned. He installed a real family clan at the head of the country. His brother Mahinda, who was president from 2005 to 2015, is prime minister, the key portfolio of finances is held by another brother, Basil. In all five Rajapaska are included in the executive.
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