SL prez ready to form interim govt, says monk

April 25, 2022 13:46

Sri Lanka's embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has agreed to form an interim government to tackle the unprecedented economic crisis, a senior Buddhist monk claimed on Monday, as the debt-ridden country stepped up efforts to keep the economy afloat.

Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets since April 9, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in fuel, medicines and electricity supply.

Rajapaksa expressed his intention to form the interim government in a letter to the powerful Buddhist clergy on Sunday. Rajapaksa had responded to a letter from the chief monks of the four Buddhist chapters dated April 4 in which they had asked Rajapaksa to dissolve the Cabinet to set up an interim government, Madagoda Dhammananda, Chief Registrar of one of the chapters, said.

A few days ago high-ranking Buddhist monks, who oversee and regulate the Buddhist clergy, have urged the President, Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and all MPs to take effective steps to put the country in order and also said that they will be forced to issue a Sangha Convention if they fail to do so, Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

There was no immediate reaction from the President's Office. The four Buddhist chapters - Malwathu, Asgiri, Amarapura and Ramanya chapters - wield power to influence Sri Lanka's political leaders.

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