Sri Lankan president drops 3 relatives in new Cabinet
April 18, 2022
The new Cabinet is seen as a gesture of appeasement to protesters while not giving up family power. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will still hold the position of president and prime minister.
Protesters have been calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his relatives in governmentImage: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
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Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a new Cabinet on Monday in a move seen as an attempt to pacify ongoing protests that have called for his resignation.
The president removed two of his brothers and a nephew from the Cabinet, but kept his older brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, as prime minister.
The political crisis was sparked by rising costs of essential goods which many put down to mishandling by the government — especially the president and his powerful family.
Sri Lanka: Protests near president's house turn violent
Angered by a worsening economic situation, thousands took to the streets of the capital Colombo. Here is a summary of what Sri Lankans have been going through.
Image: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
Firing tear gas at the protesters
Thousands of protesters gathered outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's house in the capital Colombo Thursday night demanding his resignation. They blame the president for long power outages and lack of essential goods. Police used tear gas to scatter the crowd and arrested about 50 people. It was the latest development in Sri Lanka’s current economic crisis — its worst in decades.
Image: Dinuka Liyanawatte/REUTERS
No money to buy the essentials
Sri Lanka is struggling with crippling foreign debt. In the past two years the country's foreign exchange reserves fell 70%, according to Reuters news agency. The southeast Asian nation of 22 million has been unable to pay for fuel shipments or buy what it needs from other countries.Gas shortages have disrupted daily life on the island with bus drivers unable to afford fuel and passengers fares.
Image: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
Long blackouts
The worsening economic situation has led to a spike in fuel prices, with petrol costs almost doubling over the past four months. Since the country produces most of its electricity using imported fossil fuels, the government has had to impose power cuts. On Thursday, electricity lines across the country were switched off for 13 hours, forcing the hospitals to halt routine surgeries.
Image: Dinuka Liyanawatte/REUTERS
Long fuel lines
The blackouts are expected to grow longer in duration and soon stretch 16 hours a day, with authorities even turning off street lights. People must wait in long lines for hours before they can buy petrol or have their cooking gas canisters refilled. Several elderly people have died waiting in long lines for fuel on hot days. Medicine and essential food items have also become hard to find.
Image: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
Government blames COVID-19's effect on tourism
Some officials, including Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, have said the current situation is the result of COVID-19's blow to the tourism industry, one of Sri Lanka's main sources of income. But critics say that the government's tax cuts have put increased pressure on the country's public finances, triggering a spiraling economic crisis.
Image: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
The president's nepotism
In addition, some independent politicians and protesters cite President Rajapaksa’s nepotism as one of the main causes for the current situation. The Rajapaksas have been one of the most influential families in the country for at least two decades. The current president has been widely criticized for appointing his brothers as ministers and giving other key positions to relatives.
Image: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images
Rising tensions
Supply shortages added to public anger, which has simmered for weeks. Since earlier this month a series of large demonstrations have been taking place across the country. On Tuesday, the president deployed the army to gas stations to oversee fuel distribution. The situation grew more tense last night when the demonstration turned violent, leading to an overnight curfew.
Basil Rajapaksa, the former finance minister and Gotabaya's younger brother, as well as the president's eldest brother Chamal, did not make the cut for the new 21-member Cabinet — which has seven fewer members than the previous one.
Namal Rajapaksa, the eldest son of the prime minister, and thus the nephew of the president, was also left out. He had been touted as a possible future leader.
Sri Lankan ministers are provided with SUVs, unlimited fuel, a team of bodyguards and free housing, as well as an allowance for entertainment.
Protesters have expressed anger at the nepotism and corruption they say is rampant in the government. The Rajapaksa clan has held onto power for the past two decades.
Opposition parties have rejected an offer to form a coalition unity government, but do not control enough seats to force a change of power.
Inflation has also reached a record high and the financial problems are compounding economic woes as a lack of imported fuel has led to countrywide blackouts.
The government has been preparing for talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to discuss acquiring a bailout for the country's foreign debt of $51 billion (€47.25 billion).
The country announced a default on that debt last week and is seeking $3 to $4 billion to sort out its balance-of-payments problem and to acquire foreign currency reserves again.
