Colombo: A massive protest has started near the presidential secretariat of crisis-hit Sri Lanka, blocking the nearby roads the day after the resignation of the entire Lankan cabinet. Visuals from the spot showed thousands of people standing on the road late in the evening, waving posters and chanting slogans to the beat of drums.
The road outside the secretariat is one of the few well-lit places in the capital city Colombo.
Yesterday, the Lankan cabinet resigned en masse amid anti-government protests that are escalating despite curfews. All 26 ministers aside from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his elder brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down.
This morning, the Governor of Sri Lankan central bank, announced his resignation. Ajith Cabraal said he stepped down after the cabinet quit to make way for a new administration to manage the spiraling economic crisis.
The exit of the cabinet came as public anger swelled against the Rajapaksa family. On Sunday, thousands across the island nation defied a weekend curfew to protest demanding the ouster of the Rajapaksa family.
Though the 36-hour long curfew imposed on Saturday has been lifted, the country is still under a state of emergency.
The people in Lanka hit the streets last week as the prices of essential items surged, fuel became scarce, life-saving drugs unavailable and cities struggled under hours of blackout.
The government had blocked access to social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube. The ban, however, was lifted on Sunday afternoon after the PM’s son Namal Rajapaksa spoke against it.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has named four ministers to maintain the legitimacy and stability of Parliament until a full Cabinet is appointed. He has even asked opposition members to join a unity government.
Sajith Premadasa, the Leader of Opposition, said, “Please try and help Sri Lanka to the maximum possible extent. This is our motherland, we need to save our motherland”.
