Sri Lanka's embattled president escapes censure resolution

COLOMBO • Sri Lanka's beleaguered President side-stepped a censure motion yesterday after his fractured coalition rallied to delay a resolution blaming him for the country's worst economic crisis.

Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa's shaky coalition voted against taking up the unprecedented "displeasure of Parliament" motion.

The non-binding motion was proposed by the main opposition Tamil National Alliance, which said that it was echoing the calls of thousands of anti-government demonstrators who have for weeks been demanding Mr Rajapaksa's resignation.

Mr Rajapaksa's ruling party was also able to push through its candidate for Deputy Speaker of Parliament.

The win indicates that the leader still has the support of many lawmakers despite anger over the nation's economic tailspin.

The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna's candidate Ajith Rajapakse won 109 votes in a secret ballot, compared with 78 for the nominee of the main opposition.

The vote also shows the first difference of opinion between the strongman President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Premier had wanted the new Deputy Speaker to be chosen unanimously.

The four-day session of Parliament is also expected to discuss the country's economic crisis.

It comes a day after the Prime Minister announced plans to sell the national airline to stem losses, part of efforts to stabilise finances even as the authorities are forced to print money to pay government salaries.

The new administration plans to privatise Sri Lankan Airlines, Mr Wickremesinghe said in a televised address to the nation.

The carrier lost 45 billion Sri Lankan rupees (S$176 million) in the year ended March 2021, he said just days before the nation is set to formally default on foreign debt.

"It should not be that this loss has to be borne by the poorest of the poor who have not set foot in an aircraft," Mr Wickremesinghe said, warning that the next couple of months will be the "most difficult ones of our lives".

"We must immediately establish a national assembly or political body with the participation of all political parties to find solutions for the present crisis."

Shortages of food, fuel and medicines, along with record inflation and lengthy blackouts, have brought severe hardships to Sri Lankans, who face the worst financial crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.

Most petrol stations in the capital were closed yesterday, with long queues outside the few that were still open.

Sri Lanka has run out of dollars to finance essential imports, Mr Wickremesinghe said, and three oil tankers were waiting off Colombo to be paid before they would unload their supplies.

The country has also run out of 14 essential drugs including anti-rabies vaccines, the Premier said, adding that suppliers of medicines had not been paid for about four months

The President's elder brother Mahinda stepped down as prime minister last week and, in a bid to defuse mounting public anger, Mr Gotabaya appointed Mr Wickremesinghe to replace him.

Mr Wickremesinghe has won crucial support from the two main opposition parties to form a "unity government" to pull the country out of the dire economic crisis, but had yet to form a full Cabinet on Monday afternoon.

He was expected to name a new Cabinet later, but political sources said negotiations were still underway on sharing portfolios.

A new finance minister is expected to be named this week, and the authorities are likely to raise interest rates as they struggle to stabilise the economy.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BLOOMBERG