New Sri Lanka PM struggles to form unity government
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s new PM struggled on Friday to forge a unity government and prevent an imminent financial collapse as opposition lawmakers declined to join his cabinet and demanded fresh elections.
Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in late Thursday to browse his country through the worst recession in its history as an independent country, with months of scarcities and blackouts irritating public anger. The 73-year-old insists he has enough assistance to govern and approached numerous lawmakers to join him, but 4 opposition celebrations have currently said his premiership lacks legitimacy.
Senior opposition lawmaker Harsha de Silva openly turned down a deal to take control of the financing ministry and stated he would rather promote the government’s resignation. “People are not asking for political video games and deals, they want a brand-new system that will secure their future,” he stated in a statement. De Silva said he was signing up with “individuals’s battle” to topple President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and would not support any political settlement that left the leader in place.
Huge public demonstrations have for weeks condemned Rajapaksa over his administration’s mismanagement of the worsening economic crisis. Hundreds remain outdoors his office in Colombo at a protest camp that has for the past month campaigned for him to step down.
De Silva is a member of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), the biggest opposition party in parliament, which had actually appeared all set to split over whether to support Wickremesinghe. But the head of the possible splinter faction, Harin Fernando, said Friday he had gone back to the fold. “I will not support Wickremesinghe’s federal government,” Fernando stated. Three smaller sized celebrations have likewise signalled they will not join any unity government, with the leftist Individuals’s Freedom Front (JVP) requiring fresh elections.
Nevertheless, the cash-strapped federal government is not likely to be able to afford polls, or even print tallies, at a time when a nationwide paper scarcity forced schools to postpone exams. afp
Released at Fri, 13 May 2022 23:47:24 +0000