Tag: economic crisis

Colombo : People in Sri Lanka expressed uncertainty and demanded a new leader in the country amid the ongoing political instability and economic crisis in the country. Charles, a shopkeeper in Colombo, demanded a new leader in the country. He said, "We need a proper leader in our country. We are not happy with the ruling government." He further said that the ruling government doesn't care about them. A lady, who was dropping her child off in Methodist college (school), said over protest that the situation is very unpredictable and she doesn't know will she be able to find the transport to come and pick her up from the school or not. On Thursday, several protestors gathered outside the residence of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the island nation faces an unprecedented economic crisis. Amidst the unrest, after protests, Sri Lanka imposed a curfew on Saturday from 6 pm in accordance with the powers vested in the President under the provisions of the Public Security Ordinance. After a 36-hours long curfew, Sri Lanka lifted the curfew on Monday morning at 6 am but the country is still under the effect of a state of emergency. The country is witnessing protests over the government's handling of the worst economic crisis in decades. Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation. The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the crush of tourism. Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has, incidentally, affected its capacity to import food and fuel, leading to the power cuts in the country. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries.