Sri Lanka PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns amid rising pressure over worst-ever economic crisis
2 years, 7 months ago

Sri Lanka PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns amid rising pressure over worst-ever economic crisis

India Today  

Amid the worst economic crisis the country has seen since independence, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his post on Monday. Until now, the Rajapaksa brothers - President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa - had defied calls for their resignation even as unrest and protests against the government intensified. Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation letter MONDAY VIOLENCE On Monday, following reports that Mahinda Rajapaksa may offer to step down as prime minister, a violent clash erupted outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office. — Mahinda Rajapaksa May 9, 2022 On Friday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had declared a state of emergency in the country.

Sri Lanka Violence Economic Economic Crisis Crisis Prime Minister Lanka Sri Rajapaksa Mahinda Rajapaksa Gotabaya Rajapaksa Mahinda  crisis  economic  rajapaksa  resignation  sri  resigns  mahinda  urge  violence  restraint  rising  worstever  pressure  lanka  minister

History of this topic

Sri Lanka’s Marxist-leaning president appoints his Cabinet after a resounding election win
1 month ago

Sri Lanka’s Marxist-leaning president appoints his Cabinet after a resounding election win

Live Mint  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning president swore in a 21-member Cabinet on Monday after his party secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority in last week’s election. Sri Lanka’s crisis was largely the result of economic mismanagement combined with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which along with militant attacks in 2019 devastated the important tourism industry. Sri Lanka’s economic …

‘Need a change’: Sri Lanka’s leftist win sparks hopes, bridges old divides
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

‘Need a change’: Sri Lanka’s leftist win sparks hopes, bridges old divides

Al Jazeera  

President Dissanayake’s party has won a two-thirds majority in parliament, including among Tamils and Muslims. Dissanayake’s National People’s Power won a landslide majority in Thursday’s parliamentary election, securing 159 seats in a house of 225 members – representing a comfortable two-thirds majority. They have shown they need a change from the old politics.” Vote for change According to political analyst …

Sri Lanka: Economic crisis, political change, and reconciliation | Interview with Ahilan Kadirgamar
1 month, 1 week ago

Sri Lanka: Economic crisis, political change, and reconciliation | Interview with Ahilan Kadirgamar

The Hindu  

Published : Nov 14, 2024 14:38 IST - 1 MIN READ On November 14, 2024, Sri Lankans began voting in the snap parliamentary election, the first major test of the ruling National People’s Power party led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Having failed to secure 50 per cent of the vote at the September 21 presidential election, Mr. Dissanayake is …

Sri Lanka votes today: President Dissanayake faces litmus test as NPP aims for majority control
Top News
1 month, 1 week ago

Sri Lanka votes today: President Dissanayake faces litmus test as NPP aims for majority control

Live Mint  

Sri Lankans are heading to the polls today for a crucial parliamentary election that will determine the future political landscape of the island nation. Dissanayake's Presidential Win in Sri Lanka In September, Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidential election, marking a significant shift away from the traditional political parties that have ruled Sri Lanka since its independence in 1948. Dissanayake’s …

Sri Lanka Leader Seeks to Bolster Power With Parliamentary Vote
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Sri Lanka Leader Seeks to Bolster Power With Parliamentary Vote

Live Mint  

-- Sri Lanka holds its first parliamentary elections since the victory of its outsider leftist president, in a test of his ambitious pledges to combat corruption and rewrite an unpopular International Monetary Fund loan program. Anura Kumara Dissanayake called for early polls on the heels of his victory in the Sept. 21 presidential election, widely seen as a stunning rebuke …

Voting ends in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election that’s key for its new Marxist-leaning president
1 month, 1 week ago

Voting ends in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election that’s key for its new Marxist-leaning president

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lankans voted in a parliamentary election Thursday that is key for the country’s new, Marxist-leaning president to consolidate his party’s power and follow through on promises of economic recovery. The biggest challenge for the NPP — which was founded in 2019 and is a relative newcomer on Sri Lanka’s political scene — is that many …

Terms of Trade | Can the socially retrograde turn economically progressive?
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Terms of Trade | Can the socially retrograde turn economically progressive?

Hindustan Times  

The election of a Marxist-Leninist politician as the president of economically floundering Sri Lanka was a big news point this week. Had Dissanayake and his party taken a principled position against majoritarian ethnic politics in Sri Lanka, would they have managed to protect their political capital, which has been encashed to capture power in these elections? The Jats too realised …

Sri Lanka has entered a new dawn with its new president. What does the diaspora think of Anura Dissanayake?
3 months ago

Sri Lanka has entered a new dawn with its new president. What does the diaspora think of Anura Dissanayake?

ABC  

For decades, Sri Lankan politics has looked like a revolving door through which the same parties and families have come and gone. Unlike many of Sri Lanka's past presidents, Mr Dissanayake has no political lineage and is from the socialist National People's Power party which he founded in 2019. For some of Sri Lanka's younger generation the election result "was …

Sri Lankans ousted Rajapaksa clan from power two years ago. Now they are back in the fray
3 months ago

Sri Lankans ousted Rajapaksa clan from power two years ago. Now they are back in the fray

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “People will understand, you know, because if you look …

Two years after Sri Lanka’s president was ousted by protests – could it all have been for nothing?
3 months ago

Two years after Sri Lanka’s president was ousted by protests – could it all have been for nothing?

The Independent  

In the summer of 2022, Pali Abeywickrama and his friends marched to the presidential palace during Sri Lanka’s popular anti-government uprising. open image in gallery Protesters hold Sri Lankan flags as they stand on top of the office of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe in July 2022 Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya party is at 32 per cent …

Protests ousted Sri Lanka’s last president. Ahead of new election, many are still waiting for change
3 months ago

Protests ousted Sri Lanka’s last president. Ahead of new election, many are still waiting for change

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Two years ago, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans rose up against their president and forced him to flee the country. Days after Rajapaksa fled the country, Sri Lanka’s parliament replaced him with then-prime minister Ranil Wickremensignhe in a vote that many protesters saw as a victory for the status quo. Pathum Kerner, a 42-year-old physician …

Ramification | Sri Lanka: First presidential election after economic crisis and all weather Colombo-Delhi ties
3 months, 1 week ago

Ramification | Sri Lanka: First presidential election after economic crisis and all weather Colombo-Delhi ties

Firstpost  

Irrespective of the outcome of the election, India, as it has done in the past, will continue to support Sri Lanka in its economic recovery President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena gesture as they arrive at the Election Commission in Rajagiriya to submit his nomination papers for the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for September 21, in Colombo, Sri …

Sri Lankans’ fury forced the powerful Rajapaksa clan out. Now its heir is running for president
3 months, 1 week ago

Sri Lankans’ fury forced the powerful Rajapaksa clan out. Now its heir is running for president

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — When an uprising ousted Sri Lanka’s president, many saw it as the end of his powerful family’s hold on the island nation after more than 12 years of rule. Alan Keenan, senior consultant on Sri Lanka at the International Crisis Group, said the younger Rajapaksa’s bid for the presidency is a test run that would establish …

39 candidates are approved for Sri Lanka’s presidential election, the highest number ever
4 months, 1 week ago

39 candidates are approved for Sri Lanka’s presidential election, the highest number ever

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s elections commission on Thursday accepted applications from a record 39 candidates to run in next month’s presidential election, which will decide the course of the country’s financial reforms to survive an unprecedented economic crisis. Unsustainable debt, a severe balance of payments crisis, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the government’s insistence on …

Bangladesh protests echo other historic youth-led uprisings globally
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Bangladesh protests echo other historic youth-led uprisings globally

New Indian Express  

BANGKOK — In Bangladesh, weeks of protests against a quota system for government jobs turned into a broad uprising that forced the prime minister to flee the country and resign. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled this week after the unrest during which nearly 300 people died, including both students and police officers. In April, protesters primarily led by university …

Heir apparent to Sri Lanka’s powerful Rajapaksa family will run in September’s presidential election
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Heir apparent to Sri Lanka’s powerful Rajapaksa family will run in September’s presidential election

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The man who is considered the heir apparent to the powerful Rajapaksa family in Sri Lanka will contest the presidential election in September, his political party said Wednesday, in an apparent bid to regain his family’s lost power after a humiliating setback two years ago during an unprecedented economic crisis in the Indian ocean island nation. …

Rajapaksas’ party fields Mahinda’s son Namal in Sri Lanka’s presidential race
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Rajapaksas’ party fields Mahinda’s son Namal in Sri Lanka’s presidential race

The Hindu  

Sri Lanka’s ruling party helmed by the Rajapaksa clan, who were booted out of office by mass protests in 2022, on Wednesday named Namal Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as its candidate for the September presidential polls. After Mr. Gotabaya was forced to resign at the height of Sri Lanka’s crushing unprecedented economic crisis in 2022, its MPs …

Rajapaksas’ party decides against backing Ranil in presidential election
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Rajapaksas’ party decides against backing Ranil in presidential election

The Hindu  

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna — led by the once-powerful Rajapaksa clan which was deposed from power in 2022 — has said it will not back President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the presidential polls in September. On their party’s poll-time decision, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said Mr. Wickremesinghe’s policies were not agreeable to members. Namal Rajapaksa, son of former President …

Rajapaksas to launch political comeback bid in Sri Lanka
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Rajapaksas to launch political comeback bid in Sri Lanka

Deccan Chronicle  

Sri Lanka's powerful Rajapaksa clan, which suffered political battering due to the country's worst economic crisis in 2022, will launch its political comeback bid on Sunday by targeting the impending elections. Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, ex-prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa were ousted from power during anti-government protests following the crippling financial and political crisis in …

Sri Lanka’s Financial Crisis Gradually Easing: Ranil Wickremesinghe
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Sri Lanka’s Financial Crisis Gradually Easing: Ranil Wickremesinghe

News 18  

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka is “gradually” emerging from its worst economic crisis after the austerity of an IMF bailout, the president said Sunday in a speech to mark independence day. Sri Lanka saw months of civil unrest at the peak of the economic crisis, culminating in the ouster of then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa when thousands of protesters stormed his home. The International …

Sri Lanka top court finds Rajapaksa brothers guilty of economic crisis
1 year, 1 month ago

Sri Lanka top court finds Rajapaksa brothers guilty of economic crisis

Al Jazeera  

The symbolic ruling says the powerful brothers – including two ex-presidents – triggered the island’s worst financial crisis. Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has issued a symbolic ruling that the powerful Rajapaksa brothers – including two ex-presidents – were guilty of triggering the island’s worst financial crisis by mishandling the economy. The case was filed by corruption watchdog Transparency International Sri …

Sri Lanka ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa gets clean chit in 2022 'unaccounted cash' probe
1 year, 2 months ago

Sri Lanka ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa gets clean chit in 2022 'unaccounted cash' probe

Firstpost  

The Bribery Commission informed the court that further legal proceedings regarding this incident would not be taken owing to insufficient evidence to proceed with the matter, the Daily Mirror online reported on Thursday Citing lack of evidence, Sri Lanka’s anti-graft commission has dropped a case against former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in which more than Rs 17 million was discovered by …

Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe to visit India on July 21
1 year, 5 months ago

Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe to visit India on July 21

The Hindu  

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will embark on a two-day visit to India on July 21 during which he is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials here said on July 9. This will be Mr. Wickremesinghe’s first visit to India since being appointed President of the cash-strapped country last year following the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in a …

IMF says Sri Lanka’s economic recovery shows signs of improvement but challenges remain
1 year, 6 months ago

IMF says Sri Lanka’s economic recovery shows signs of improvement but challenges remain

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Debt-stricken Sri Lanka, which declared bankruptcy last year, is showing signs of economic improvement but its recovery still faces challenges, the International Monetary Fund said Friday. But the economic recovery remains challenging,” said IMF deputy managing director Kenji Okamura after concluding a visit to Sri Lanka, where he met with the country’s top leaders and officials. …

Sri Lanka delays first vote since new president
1 year, 10 months ago

Sri Lanka delays first vote since new president

Firstpost  

Colombo: Sri Lanka’s independent election commission indefinitely postponed local polls Friday after the president – installed by parliament last year after his predecessor fled – refused to fund the vote. The 9 March polls would only have picked local councillors but would be the first electoral test for Ranil Wickremesinghe since he took office in July after months of protests …

Ex-Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa quizzed over hidden cash stash
1 year, 10 months ago

Ex-Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa quizzed over hidden cash stash

Firstpost  

Protesters occupied his presidential palace for several days, discovering 17.5 million rupees hidden in Rajapaksa’s private quarters that they later turned over to police Sri Lankan police told AFP on Wednesday they are investigating ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa over a hidden cash stockpile uncovered when protesters stormed his former residence last year. Protesters occupied his presidential palace for several days, …

Ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka: Report
1 year, 11 months ago

Ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka: Report

Hindustan Times  

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was ousted from power last year over his government's mishandling of the cash-strapped country's economy, has returned from Dubai, his first foreign trip since returning to Sri Lanka four months ago. Gotabaya Rajapaksa In Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka's former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa,73, fled Sri Lanka to the Maldives on a Sri Lankan Airforce plane …

INTERVIEW | R. Sampanthan on the Sri Lankan economic crisis: ‘We cannot go on like this’
2 years ago

INTERVIEW | R. Sampanthan on the Sri Lankan economic crisis: ‘We cannot go on like this’

The Hindu  

Published : Dec 01, 2022 10:35 IST Sri Lankan Member of Parliament Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, who has kept together a diverse coalition of Tamil political parties under the umbrella of the Tamil National Alliance since 2001, has witnessed many phases of the struggle since Sri Lanka became an independent country in 1948. Now 89 and largely confined to his official residence …

Mahinda Rajapaksa blames ‘foreign forces’ for Sri Lanka’s crisis
2 years, 1 month ago

Mahinda Rajapaksa blames ‘foreign forces’ for Sri Lanka’s crisis

The Hindu  

COLOMBO: Two-time President and former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday blamed “foreign forces” and the former government for Sri Lanka’s economic collapse, while admitting to “some wrong decisions” taken by their ousted administration. Foreign powers “eyeing Sri Lanka’s national assets”, and their “local agents” who were “still active” were fuelling anti-government protests, Mr. Mahinda told Parliament, during the second …

Ranil presents crucial Budget aimed at ‘recovery and reform’ of Sri Lankan economy
2 years, 1 month ago

Ranil presents crucial Budget aimed at ‘recovery and reform’ of Sri Lankan economy

The Hindu  

Sri Lanka will adopt policies geared towards a “social market economy”, to achieve high growth, increased export revenue and Foreign Direct Investment, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Monday, presenting his first annual Budget since assuming charge in July. In September, Sri Lanka entered into a staff level agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a $2.9 billion package, contingent on …

Sri Lanka’s ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa faces arrest calls after return
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka’s ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa faces arrest calls after return

The Hindu  

Deposed Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa faced calls for his arrest on September 3 after returning home from self-imposed exile under the protection of his successor’s government. “He can’t live freely as if nothing has happened.” Mr. Rajapaksa’s government was accused of chaotic mismanagement as the Sri Lankan economy spiralled into a blistering downturn. Sri Lanka’s main opposition alliance, the …

With no immunity, Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa faces legal troubles
2 years, 3 months ago

With no immunity, Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa faces legal troubles

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who returned home after seven weeks in exile following protests over economic hardships, could face legal action over forced disappearances of activists now that he has been stripped of constitutional immunity, a lawyer said Saturday. The disappearances took place 12 years ago soon after the end of the country’s long …

’No place to hide’: Ousted Sri Lankan Prez returns home, faces calls for arrest
2 years, 3 months ago

’No place to hide’: Ousted Sri Lankan Prez returns home, faces calls for arrest

Live Mint  

Ousted Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa returned home on Saturday after fleeing the country in July under military escort. He further added, "Once he has spent some time at home he will let us know what he wants to do.” Calls for bringing Gotabaya to Justice grow: Protestors who led the agitation demanding his removal from office that eventually led …

Sri Lanka’s ousted president returns home after fleeing
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka’s ousted president returns home after fleeing

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s former president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country in July after tens of thousands of protesters stormed his home and office in a display of anger over the country’s economic crisis, returned to the country early Saturday after seven weeks. Rajapaksa, a former military officer, was elected on promises to uplift the country’s economy …

Sri Lanka’s ousted President Rajapaksa gets government residence, security on return
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka’s ousted President Rajapaksa gets government residence, security on return

The Hindu  

Sri Lanka’s ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was provided on Saturday with an official residence and security by the government after he returned to the country he had fled in July during economic unrest, two senior officials said. Rajapaksa fled in the early hours of July 13 after massive protests engulfed Colombo and demonstrators enraged with the economic devastation stormed his …

Sri Lanka: Former president Rajapaksa Gotabaya faces arrest calls after returning from exile
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka: Former president Rajapaksa Gotabaya faces arrest calls after returning from exile

Firstpost  

Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka on Saturday after he fled the island nation under military escort in July when a huge crowd stormed his official residence following months of angry demonstrations against his government Colombo: Deposed Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa faced calls for his arrest Saturday after returning home from self-imposed exile under the protection of the government that …

Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka as Sinhala politicans close ranks
2 years, 3 months ago

Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka as Sinhala politicans close ranks

The Hindu  

Published : Sep 03, 2022 13:04 IST Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived in Colombo’s Bandaranaike International airport exactly the same way he left the country seven weeks ago—under cover of darkness and shrouded in secrecy—aided by Sinhalese politicians who closed ranks. Gotabaya’s party, the SLPP, essentially a family-run enterprise, began a stock-taking exercise recently to consolidate the gains …

Sri Lanka's former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa comes back after 51-day of self imposed exile
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka's former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa comes back after 51-day of self imposed exile

Firstpost  

Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka to the Maldives on a Sri Lanka Airforce plane and then proceeded to Singapore, from where he resigned on 14 July Colombo: Sri Lanka’s former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was accorded a warm welcome as he returned to Colombo from Thailand amid tight security on late Friday, ending his 51-day self-imposed exile after fleeing abroad following months-long …

Sri Lanka\'s ousted ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns home from Thailand
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka\'s ousted ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns home from Thailand

Deccan Chronicle  

Colombo: Sri Lanka's former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was accorded a warm welcome as he returned to Colombo from Thailand amid tight security on late Friday, ending his 51-day self-imposed exile after fleeing abroad following months-long mass protests over the country's worst economic crisis. After being welcomed by lawmakers of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party, Rajapaksa left the airport …

Gotabaya Rajapaksa Returns to Sri Lanka: Ex-Prez Given State-Bungalow, Round-the-Clock Security
2 years, 3 months ago

Gotabaya Rajapaksa Returns to Sri Lanka: Ex-Prez Given State-Bungalow, Round-the-Clock Security

News 18  

Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka late Friday night from Singapore, where he had fled fearing reprisal at the hands of the people of Sri Lanka for leading them to an economic crisis. Sri Lankan news agencies reported that the former president returned to Sri Lanka amid heavy security presence. It was in July that he …

Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka from Thailand
2 years, 3 months ago

Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns to Sri Lanka from Thailand

India TV News  

Highlights Sri Lanka’s ousted president returns home after fleeing Gotabaya Rajapaksa came back home nearly 2 months after he fled the country Rajapaksa will be living in a state bungalow close to Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo Sri Lanka news : Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday returned to the country from Thailand, nearly two months after he fled …

Sri Lankan ousted President Rajapaksa returns home from Thailand
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lankan ousted President Rajapaksa returns home from Thailand

Live Mint  

Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country about two months ago during the nation's worst-ever economic crisis situation, returned home from Thailand on Friday, according to news agency PTI. Rajapaksa fled the country on July 13 after protestors in Sri Lanka demanded his resignation and stormed the President’s House in Colombo and several other state buildings in …

Sri Lanka’s former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns home from Thailand
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka’s former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa returns home from Thailand

The Hindu  

Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday returned to the country from Thailand, nearly two months after he fled the country following a massive uprising against his government over the island nation’s worst-ever economic crisis. After being received at the airport by several ministers and Parliamentarians of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party, Mr. Rajapaksa left the airport …

Sri Lanka: Bankrupt deposed former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa 'to return home'
2 years, 3 months ago

Sri Lanka: Bankrupt deposed former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa 'to return home'

Firstpost  

Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka under military escort in July after unarmed crowds stormed his official residence Colombo, Sri Lanka: Bankrupt Sri Lanka’s deposed former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is expected to end his self-imposed exile in Thailand and return home imminently, a top defence official told AFP on Friday. The unit comprises elements from the army and police commandos.” Sri …

Five months of Sri Lankan crisis: From state of emergency to $2.9 billion bailout deal
2 years, 3 months ago

Five months of Sri Lankan crisis: From state of emergency to $2.9 billion bailout deal

Firstpost  

The island nation of 22 million people has suffered months of blackouts as well as acute food, fuel and medicine shortages Colombo: Sri Lanka struck a $2.9 billion bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund on Thursday, a key hurdle in the government’s efforts to overcome a painful and unprecedented economic crisis. AFP looks at how the crisis unfolded: 1 …

After Over a Month in Exile, Sri Lanka's Ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Return Over Weekend: Sources
2 years, 3 months ago

After Over a Month in Exile, Sri Lanka's Ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Return Over Weekend: Sources

News 18  

Sri Lanka’s ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is all set to return to his home country over the weekend after over a month in exile. Last month, the deposed leader’s party had said he was seeking to return home from his exile in Thailand and had asked his successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, to guarantee his safety. Gotabaya’s youngest brother Basil Rajapaksa, the …

Photos: Crisis pushes more Sri Lankans into poverty
2 years, 3 months ago

Photos: Crisis pushes more Sri Lankans into poverty

Al Jazeera  

Millions of Sri Lankans are battling a calamitous decline in living standards, as they find themselves forced to skip meals, ration medicines and turn to firewood in place of cooking gas. Hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising oil prices and economic mismanagement under previous governments, the island nation is in the throes of its starkest crisis since independence from …

‘Sri Lanka is bankrupt because of the Rajapaksas’ - The Hindu
2 years, 3 months ago

‘Sri Lanka is bankrupt because of the Rajapaksas’ - The Hindu

The Hindu  

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis is a consequence of the corruption over two Rajapaksa regimes, said former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, admitting she is “thrilled” by the aragalaya or people’s movement that overthrew them recently. Observing that she would “wait and watch” how President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who relies on the Rajapaksas’ party in parliament, fares, Ms. Kumaratunga contended that his government …

Sri Lanka's Rights Body Urges Wickremesinghe to Provide Protection to Gotabaya Rajapaksa & His Family
2 years, 4 months ago

Sri Lanka's Rights Body Urges Wickremesinghe to Provide Protection to Gotabaya Rajapaksa & His Family

News 18  

Sri Lanka's top human rights body has urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to provide adequate protection to the family of his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa as guaranteed by the Constitution and facilitate the former president's return to the crisis-hit country. In a letter, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka on Monday said that it had received several complaints alleging that the …

Ranil Wickremesinghe: The Rajapaksas’ Puppet on a String
2 years, 4 months ago

Ranil Wickremesinghe: The Rajapaksas’ Puppet on a String

The Diplomat  

Hopes that a new president would usher in a measure of calm to restive Sri Lanka seem to have been dashed, with parliamentarians electing Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country’s eighth president in late July. Wickremesinghe ordered the military and police “to do what is necessary to restore order.” Sure enough, on July 22, Sri Lankan security forces violently cleared the …

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