The country has been rocked by civil unrest since March, with demonstrations at times becoming violent as anger builds over the government’s apparent ill-treatment of Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis since Britain’s independence in 1948.
A police hour was introduced across the country after clashes broke out between supporters of the ruling party and anti -government demonstrators in the capital Colombo, police said on Monday. The restrictions were announced shortly before Rajapaksa announced his resignation.
At least 80 people have been admitted to hospital after violence during the protests, the Colombo National Hospital said. Armed forces are based in Colombo, according to a CNN team on the scene.
Rajapaksa’s office issued a statement announcing the resignation of the 76-year-old veteran politician, Reuters reported.
“A few minutes ago, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa sent a letter of resignation to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa,” the statement said.
In the letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, the prime minister said he was leaving to help form an interim unity government.
“Many stakeholders have indicated that the best solution to the current crisis is to form an interim government with all parties,” the letter said.
“That is why I resigned so that the next steps can be taken in accordance with the Constitution.
His departure came during a day of chaos and violence that ended with the imposition of curfews across the country.
The confrontation began with hundreds of supporters of the ruling party, who gathered in front of the prime minister’s official residence before heading to an anti-government protest site in front of the president’s office.
According to a witness to Reuters, police have formed a tail on the main road leading to the site, but did not do much to stop the pro -government protesters to progress.
Pro-government supporters, some armed with iron bars, attacked anti-government protesters in the Gota Go Gama tent camp, which emerged last month and became the focus of national protests.
Police use tear gas and water cannons to break the confrontation, the first major clash between pro-anti-government supporters since the beginning of protests in late March.
“This is a peaceful protest,” Pasindou Senanayaka, an anti-government protester, told Reuters. “They attacked Gota Go Gama and set fire to our tents.”
“We are helpless now, begging for help,” Senanayaka said as black smoke billowed from a burning tent nearby and parts of the protest camp lay in disarray.
Dozens of paramilitaries with shields and riot helmets were deployed to keep the two groups separate after the initial clashes. The army said it had also deployed troops in the area.
“We strongly condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by those who incite and participate, regardless of their political allegiance,” President Rajapaksa tweeted. “Violence will not solve current problems.”
Heavily affected by the pandemic, rising oil prices and tax cuts, Sri Lanka has just $ 50 million in useful foreign reserves, Finance Minister Ali Sabri said last week.
The government has turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for rescue aid and will launch a virtual summit on Monday with IMF officials aimed at providing emergency aid.
Faced with escalating anti-government protests, the Rajapaksa government last week declared a state of emergency for the second time in five weeks, but public discontent has been raging.
Long queues for gas cooking in recent days have often turned into impromptu protests as frustrated consumers block roads. Local energy companies say stocks of liquefied petroleum gas, used mainly for cooking, are running low.
Sri Lanka needs at least 40,000 tons of gas each month, and the monthly import bill will be $ 40 million at current prices.
“We are a bankrupt nation,” said WHK Wegapitiya, chairman of Laugfs Gas, one of the country’s two main gas suppliers.
“Banks don’t have enough dollars to open credit lines and we can’t go to the black market. We’re struggling to keep our business afloat.”
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