Sri Lanka crisis: President Rajapaksa swears in 9 new miners

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa swore in nine new miners on Friday in an effort to ensure stability until a full Cabinet is formed in the debt-ridden island nation engulfed in the worst economic crisis since its independence.
The miners were sworn in after a delay of more than a week since the president appointed new Prime Miner Ranil Wickremesinghe. Rajapaksa reappointed five-time former Sri Lankan prime miner Wickremesinghe, after his predecessor — the president’s brother Mahinda Rajapaksa — resigned in the wake of violent attacks his supporters on peaceful anti-government protesters.
His resignation automatically dissolved the Cabinet, leaving an adminrative vacuum.
The new miners include two from the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), while the rest come from Rajapaksa’s own Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and from the group which had resigned from the ruling coalition.
President Rajapaksa had appointed four miners last week. Still, no finance miner has been appointed which is significant in the wake of ongoing negotiations with the IMF for a possible bail out.

The Cabinet will be limited to 25 members, including the President and the Prime Miner, according to media reports.
Former miner Nimal Siripala de Silva representing Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP), independent MPs Susil Premajayantha, Wijayadasa Rajapaksha, Tiran Alles were among the new nine miners sworn in on Friday.
Nimal Siripala De Silva Ports has been appointed as the miner of Naval and Aviation Services, Susil Premajayantha as the miner of education, Keheliya Rambukwella took oath as the health miner, while Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe as the miner of Justice, Prison Affairs, Constitutional Reforms.
The other miners appointed include Harin Fernando as the miner of Tourism and Land, Ramesh Pathirana as miner of Plantation Industries, Manusha Nanayakkara as the miner of Labour and Foreign Employment, Nalin Fernando as the miner of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security and Tiran Alles as the miner of Public Security.
Army members travel on armoured cars on the main road after the curfew was extended for another extra day following a clash between anti-government demonstrators and Sri Lanka’s ruling party supporters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 11, 2022. (Reuter)
Rajapaksa has now reshuffled his Cabinet four times, including the resignation of his elder brother and the patriarch of the ruling coalition Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
The crisis is caused in part a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.
At least six people have died due to exhaustion while standing in long queues for essentials. Ten more died from clashes on May 9 when a pro-government group attempted to break up anti-government protesters demanding President Rajapaksa’s resignation for mishandling of the crisis.
The police and military had been deployed in Colombo and other parts of the country after violence spread following an attack on peaceful protesters at Galle Face, where the Presidential Secretariat is located.
A damaged bus of Sri Lanka’s ruling party supporters is blocking a main road after it was set on fire during a clash of pro and anti-government demonstrators near the Prime Miner’s official residence, amid the country’s economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 10, 2022. (Reuters)
Street protests are going on in Sri Lanka with no end in sight for the crisis.
Last month, the country declared its inability to service its debt amounting to $51 billion. In 2022, the foreign debt commitments were at $6 billion.
India’s economic assance package since January had kept Sri Lanka afloat in its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. India provided credit lines for the purchase of fuel and essentials as Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves depleted.
New Delhi has committed more than $3 billion to debt-ridden Sri Lanka in loans, credit lines and credit swaps since January this year.
The political crisis was triggered in late March when people hurt long hours of power cuts and essential shortages took to the streets demanding the resignation of the government.
President Rajapaksa sacked his Cabinet and appointed a younger cabinet as a response to the demand for resignation. A continuous protest opposite his secretariat has now gone on for well over a month.
The president’s brother resigned as the prime miner to make way for the president to appoint an interim all political party government.