Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Beleaguered Sri Lanka leader appoints new cabinet
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 18 - 04 - 2022

Beleaguered Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a new cabinet despite calls for him to resign over a disastrous economic crisis.
The 17 new ministers named did not include several relatives who had previously held portfolios, although a number of stalwarts kept their seats.
He had called on the opposition to join a unity government but they refused.
The island nation is grappling with its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.
It is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that Sri Lanka cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.
With power cuts lasting half a day or more, and shortages of food, medicines and fuel, public anger has soared.
Last week, Sri Lanka also said it would temporarily default on its foreign debts. A payment on some of those bond debts was due to be made on Monday, the day on which the government is to begin bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.
The stock exchange has also been suspended for a week with effect from Monday.
Mass protests began in early April with people calling for President Rajapaksa to quit. His cabinet resigned en masse but he refused to go, despite the opposition arguing that he had lost the people's mandate.
His appointment of a new cabinet appears to be another sign that he will not bend to protesters' demands.
It also comes hours after some media outlets sympathetic to his government labelled peaceful protests in the capital "a beach party", and implied that they were funded by terror organisations. The protests in Colombo's Galle Face Green have attracted thousands of people.
When the protests broke out, Mr Rajapaksa activated a draconian emergency law and imposed a curfew to try to stop them. He also banned social media.
He later withdrew these measures when they failed to deter protesters.
Both he and his elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was not among those who resigned and who keeps his post in the new cabinet, have addressed the nation in an apparent attempt to placate protesters. But calls for the president to resign have only grown louder.
The demonstrations mark a massive turnaround in popularity for Mr Rajapaksa who swept into power with a thumping majority win in 2019, promising stability and a "strong hand" to rule the country.
Critics say rank corruption and nepotism - his brothers and nephews occupied several key ministerial portfolios - are the main reasons for the situation the country has found itself in.
Opulent displays of wealth by family members have only increased anger. Significantly, there are no Rajapaksa family members in the new cabinet, apart from the prime minister.
Four ministers, including Finance Minister Ali Sabry and Foreign Minister GL Peiris, keep their posts.
All 21 positions in the cabinet are filled by men. In the previous cabinet one woman held a ministerial portfolio. — BBC


Clic here to read the story from its source.