Sri Lankan parliament convened on Tuesday for the first time after a state of emergency was imposed. Protests against the government and specially the Rajapaksas continue outside the parliament in Colombo. Sri Lanka is facing shortages of food, fuel and other essentials along with record inflation and crippling power cuts. CNN-News18 reporters in Sri Lanka also saw stores which were empty and there were no customers inside them. There were several stores where essential food items and pulses were highly priced. Read More
IMF ‘Very Closely’ Monitoring Political, Economic Developments in Sri Lanka
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday said that it is monitoring political and economic developments in Sri Lanka “very closely” as public uproar in the country grows amid its worst economic crisis in decades, Reuters reported.
Sri Lanka’s Ruling Coalition Loses Parliamentary Majority
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ruling coalition lost its majority in parliament on Tuesday after at least 41 lawmakers walked out of the alliance amid growing unrest over an economic crisis, Reuters reported.
“Our party is on the side of the people,” Maithripala Sirisena, leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party which withdrew its support for Rajapaksa’s coalition, said.
Sri Lankan Police Warns Protesters Against Breaking Laws, Reviews Video Footage for Making Arrests
The Sri Lankan police have warned protesters not to take the law in their own hands, saying that strict action will be taken against those involved in violence during the agitations, news agency ANI reported.