Protesters storm Sri Lankan president’s house, office amid economic crisis
PBS NewsHourSep 09, 2022
Sri Lanka: Protesters Reject Government, Urge Rajapaksa to Leave
story
Image copyright: Reuters [via Le Monde]
The Facts
This follows the main opposition parties announcing plans to form a unity government to help stabilize Sri Lanka's political climate until parliamentary elections can be held.
On Sat., both the President and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to resign. While the latter has said he will step down after a new government is elected, Pres. Rajapaksa is expected to leave office on Wednesday.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The ongoing tragedy in Sri Lanka is the direct result of dynastic politics and corruption. Entrenched families have wielded power in Sri Lanka for years, using their influence to enrich themselves at the expense of the people, who now bear the burden of the economic collapse engineered by the Rajapaksa clan.
Pro-establishment narrative
It's easy to point fingers at the Rajapaksas, but the economic crisis isn't unique to Sri Lanka. The current bout of global inflation and the supply crunch of oil and gas caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine is going to impact many other similarly positioned emerging market economies in the coming months.
