governing party has defeated a move in Parliament to urgently debate a motion that would censure President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the nation's worst economic crisis, which the prime minister said has left only enough gasoline for one day.
Months of anti-government rallies have led to the near-dismantling of the once-powerful ruling family, with one of the president's brothers resigning as prime minister, and other siblings and a nephew leaving their cabinet posts.On Monday evening, the new Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, offered a somber assessment of the country's dire situation.
Attacks on peaceful protesters last week sparked countrywide violence that left nine people, including a lawmaker, dead and more than 200 wounded. Many homes of lawmakers and their supporters were burned down. "For almost 40 days people have camped on the road saying 'Gota Go Home' but those who call themselves people's representatives, who come and sit here, are deaf," Sumanthiran said after the vote.Police officers man a barricade at the entrance to the Sri Lankan parliament in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, May 17, 2022.