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Political instability continues in Sri Lanka after the leader of the opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Sajith Premadasa turned down President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's invite to form an interim government.
This comes at the heels of Mahinda Rajapaksa accepting President Rajapaksa's request to step down as Prime Minister in the face of a severe economic crisis.
“Mr Premadasa will not accept premiership of an interim government but SJB will give conditional support for an interim government,” SJB National Organizer Tissa Attanayake told Daily Mirror. Furthermore, he added, “We will only support an interim government which will carry out proposals made by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.”
The SJB had also called for the repealing of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution which conferred unfettered powers to Rajapaksa in 2020.
“Under no circumstances GotabayaR will you hold this country down with nothing but fear & violence. The state of emergency runs counter to seeking any solution to the crisis. JUST RESIGN,” Sajith Premadasa tweeted on May 6.
Rajapaksa had called over the telephone both Premadasa and Harsha de Silva, the SJB economic guru, on the prospect of forming an interim government which had been a demand endorsed by the powerful Buddhist clergy as well as the group which had broken away from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) coalition.
Reportedly there will be a meeting on Sunday to discuss the issue between Gotabaya Rajapaksa and senior members of the SJB, including Ranjith Maddumabandara, Kabir Hashim, Rajitha Senaratne, Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara. In case the Opposition refuses to form a government the President will invite the parliament to form an all-party government.
Sri Lanka is currently in the throes of unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948.
Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets across Sri Lanka since April 9, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in fuel, medicines and electricity supply.
This comes at the heels of Mahinda Rajapaksa accepting President Rajapaksa's request to step down as Prime Minister in the face of a severe economic crisis.
“Mr Premadasa will not accept premiership of an interim government but SJB will give conditional support for an interim government,” SJB National Organizer Tissa Attanayake told Daily Mirror. Furthermore, he added, “We will only support an interim government which will carry out proposals made by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.”
The SJB had also called for the repealing of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution which conferred unfettered powers to Rajapaksa in 2020.
“Under no circumstances GotabayaR will you hold this country down with nothing but fear & violence. The state of emergency runs counter to seeking any solution to the crisis. JUST RESIGN,” Sajith Premadasa tweeted on May 6.
Rajapaksa had called over the telephone both Premadasa and Harsha de Silva, the SJB economic guru, on the prospect of forming an interim government which had been a demand endorsed by the powerful Buddhist clergy as well as the group which had broken away from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) coalition.
Reportedly there will be a meeting on Sunday to discuss the issue between Gotabaya Rajapaksa and senior members of the SJB, including Ranjith Maddumabandara, Kabir Hashim, Rajitha Senaratne, Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara. In case the Opposition refuses to form a government the President will invite the parliament to form an all-party government.
Sri Lanka is currently in the throes of unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948.
Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets across Sri Lanka since April 9, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in fuel, medicines and electricity supply.
