Roads near Sri Lankan Parliament made out of bounds for public amid protests
May 05, 2022
Colombo [Sri Lanka], May 5 : Police have closed down the roads near Sri Lankan Parliament for the public for the days when the House will be in the session amid unabated anti-government protests following the unprecedented economic crisis in the island nation.
The step is being taken to avoid hindrance to the Parliamentary activities, said the police.
The move has also come at a time when 12 persons were arrested for protesting near the Parliament in Colombo while supporting the no-confidence motion against the government and demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, as per Colombo Page.
In a statement to the media, the Police Media Division said that Parliamentary sessions are scheduled to be held on May 5 and 6 and public protests cause hindrance to the parliamentary activities. The police said that the protests disrupt the free movement of MPs and the parliament staff.
In view of this, the roads near the Parliament from Diyana Uyana Junction (Polduwa Junction) to Jayanthipura Junction and from Jayanthipura Junction to Kiyanham Junction (to Denzil - Kobbekaduwa Road) will remain closed on May 5 and 6, as per the media outlets.
In case the residents living within that boundary have no alternative, they can verify their identity and travel.
Amid the ongoing economic crisis, the Sri Lankan parliamentary session, which is underway, stands crucial as the two no-confidence motions against the President and the government by the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) are likely to be taken up.
Sri Lanka's main opposition party SJB on Tuesday handed over two no-confidence motions against the government and the President to the Speaker.
As the ongoing economic crisis continues to fuel unrest in the Island country, the protests at 'Galle Face' in Colombo in front of the Presidential Secretariat continue.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting a large number of the people, resulting in massive protests over the government's handling of the situation.
The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a fall in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as reckless economic policies, like the government's move last year to ban chemical fertilizers in a bid to make Sri Lanka's agriculture "100 per cent organic".
Due to an acute shortage of Foreign exchange, Sri Lanka recently defaulted on the entirety of its foreign debt amounting to about USD 51 billion.
The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
