Sri Lanka: Faced with the economic crisis, the Buddhist clergy calls for the departure of the government
A demonstration against the Sri Lankan government outside the residence of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, in Colombo, April 24, 2022. AP - Eranga Jayawardena
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
In Sri Lanka, the leaders of the Buddhist clergy, very influential and until now close to power, have just demanded the resignation of the government.
They are calling on President Gotabaya Rajapakse to form a new government to get out of the economic crisis and therefore to sacrifice his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse.
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With our correspondent in the Indian subcontinent,
Sébastien Farcis
"
The state is
close to bankruptcy
, the president must appoint a new interim government
": the leaders of the three Buddhist sects of Sri Lanka, until now allies of the Rajapakse, put pressure on the clan in power.
They demand that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse steps down, to make way for a multi-party government under the presidency of his brother, Gotabaya Rajapakse.
However, under this apparent opposition, this request would be a matter of political strategy.
This is what Upul Abeyrathne, director of the political science center at the University of Peradenyia, believes: “
The demonstrators are demanding the dismissal of the entire Rajapakse clan, including President Gotabaya Rajapakse who is directly responsible for this situation.
But the clergy only asks for the departure of the Prime Minister.
So I think it's a way to save this clan that financed them and on which they depend.
»
The professor is one of 20,000 people who started
a five-day march
on Tuesday (April 26 ) from Kandy, in the center of the country, to the capital Colombo.
And which will culminate in a demonstration on May 1 to demand the resignation of the president.
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To read also: Sri Lanka on the edge of the abyss
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Sri Lanka
Economic crisis