Protesters at the residence of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the capital, Colombo, on Saturday. Credit … Agence France-Presse – Getty Images
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose family has dominated politics in Sri Lanka for much of the past two decades, the country’s political leaders called on Saturday to resign after months of protests accusing him of directing the economy of the island nation on the island. the ground through corruption and mismanagement.
The call to march of Mr. Rajapaksa was confirmed by two lawmakers and arrived after protesters entered the president’s residence and office, and thousands more descended on the capital, Colombo, to register his growing fury over his government’s inability to address a paralyzing situation. economic crisis.
Then-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office only in May and was also facing resignation demands, indicated he would resign.
Sri Lanka has run out of foreign exchange reserves for imports of essential items such as fuel and medicines, and the United Nations has warned that more than a quarter of Sri Lanka’s 21 million people are at risk of shortages. food.
The economic crisis is a major setback for the island nation that was still struggling with the legacy of a bloody three-decade civil war. That conflict, between the government and the Tamil Tiger insurgents who had assumed the cause of discrimination against the Tamil ethnic minority, ended in 2009. But many of its underlying causes have persisted, with the Rajapaksa family continuing to address the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. .
At least 42 people have been injured in clashes with security forces in the city, health officials said, after police used tear gas and water cannons against protesters and fired shots into the air to try to disperse them. .
Local media showed images of protesters raping parts of the presidential residence as well as his secretariat, an independent building that houses his office.
Videos on social media showed protesters jumping into the pool of Mr. Rajapaksa’s residence, resting in the bedrooms and frying snacks in the presidential kitchen.
“I came here today to send the president home,” said Wasantha Kiruwaththuduwa, 50, who had walked 10 miles to join the protest. “Now the president must resign. If he wants peace to prevail, he must resign. “
Mr. Rajapaksa’s whereabouts were unclear.
Protests have been going on for months, but Saturday’s rally appeared to be one of the largest so far, although authorities had imposed a curfew overnight and stopped trains to try to prevent people from reaching the capital. .
On Friday, the United Nations urged “Sri Lankan authorities to show restraint in the police of the assemblies and to ensure all necessary efforts to prevent violence.”
– Skandha Gunasekara and Mujib Mashal