On Friday, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa asked the dissident group of his ruling SLPP coalition to start a dialogue with the Opposition parties on their proposal to form an interim government to tackle the unprecedented economic crisis.
A delegation from former president Maithripala Sirisena’s SLFP met him in the morning to press their demand on forming the interim government. Later, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa discussed with another dissident group that split from the ruling coalition. Presidential officials said that the parties have agreed to form a five-member committee talking to the main Opposition SJB and other Opposition parties.
The President told them to show their majority by garnering the support of 113 lawmakers in the 225-member Parliament to form the interim government. The dissidents demanded President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s elder brother and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation to make way for an interim government. Mahinda Rajapaksa, however, has made it clear not to resign and will head any interim government in the future.
In recent weeks, the influential Buddhist clergy, civil society, and trade chambers have demanded the formation of an interim government to handle the current economic crisis. The President’s talks with constituent parties were meant to discuss the proposal. However, the parties wanted separate meetings with the President without the presence of the prime minister and the Cabinet. The dissidents and Opposition parties are united in the stand that no interim government would be possible with Mahinda Rajapaksa as the prime minister.
However, the street protests throughout the island nation call for the resignation of the entire Rajapaksa family for their bungling in handling the economic crisis as people are forced to wait in long queues for essentials while enduring long power cuts.