In the wake of growing confrontations across the island, Sri Lanka will be under a national curfew from 8 p.m. tonight until 5 p.m. tomorrow, according to the president’s media office.
On Sunday, when India delivered its 12th supply of diesel to Sri Lanka, comprising over 400,000 tonnes of petroleum, new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met with representatives from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to address the country’s economic problems.
The island nation is experiencing its biggest economic crisis since its 1948 independence. Long lines for gasoline, cooking gas, and other commodities have formed as a result of a catastrophic scarcity of foreign reserves, while power outages and skyrocketing food costs have added to the people’s agony.
The economic crisis sparked political unrest in Sri Lanka, with demands for the strong Rajapaksas to quit.
In response to calls for his resignation, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa dissolved his Cabinet and replaced it with a younger one. For well over a month, a constant protest has been held in front of his secretariat.
Wickremesinghe, the 73-year-old leader of the United National Party (UNP), was named Sri Lanka’s 26th prime minister on Thursday, after the country had been without a government since Monday, when Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned after violence erupted after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe stated on Sunday that he met with representatives from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to address the country’s current economic crisis, with the focus on help for medication, food, and fertiliser supply concerns.
The Prime Minister stated in a statement that talks with foreign officials on forming a foreign consortium for financial support to coincide with the meeting of the two international financial institutions had taken place.
