Sri Lanka sinks: the premier takes control and protests grow

Sri Lanka plunged further into the crisis on Wednesday when the prime minister took office and the protesters they have lost patience with a political leadership that has not succumbed to their demands.

There were no clear signs of who was in charge for hours Wednesday after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on a military plane rather than resign. Faced with uncertainty about who ruled the country, the demonstratorss surrounded the prime minister’s residence where they were met with tear gas in the capital, Colombo.

The appointment of the prime minister is unlikely Ranil Wickremesinghe meet the demands of the demonstrators who ask for a total change of political leadership, who blame for nearly bankrupting the country.

The movement against Mr. Rajapaksa and his allies is growing For me yes how fuel, food and other basic items they decreased and became more expensive.

Protesters did not flinch after Wickremesinghe was named president. The crowd outside his office has increased. They made their way and they took over the building; another group took over the state broadcaster.

In his first speech as interim president, Wickremesinghe, who said this weekend he would step down, curfew declared and he referred to some protesters as a “fascist threat”.

An inexpensive black hole

Daily life in Sri Lanka was altered for months, with the country essentially depleted of the foreign exchange reserves needed to purchase essential imports. The prices of food and medicine have skyrocketed, power outages they have become the norm and public transport is often suspended to support fuel supplies.

Who rules the country it will inherit a nation that will be difficult to stabilize. The leadership will need to win the confidence of protesters and convince lenders, including loyal allies like India, that they can pull the nation out of its economic hole.

The move to a new government will highlight a parliament that has long frustrated the island nation of 22 million people, with legislators and political parties engaged in protracted and disorderly struggles for positions of power. To complicate matters, the ruling party loyal to Rajapaksas it still holds the majority of seats.

The Sri Lankan constitution is clear about succession. In the event of the resignation of a president, the prime minister assumes his or her interim functions. The process then proceeds to Parliament, where lawmakers vote for a new president among themselves. to complete the remaining years of the mandate of Mr. Rajapaksa.

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