Sri Lanka economic crisis: President loses House majority

Sri Lanka's president lost his parliamentary majority yesterday as dozens of lawmakers walked out of ruling coalition and urged his resignation, following days of street protests over the island nation's crippling economic crisis.

Severe shortages of food, fuel and other essentials -- along with record inflation and crippling power cuts -- have inflicted widespread misery in the country's most painful downturn since independence from Britain in 1948.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's once-powerful ruling coalition is in turmoil after a string of defections, capped yesterday by the new finance minister's resignation just one day after taking office.

And as anti-Rajapaksa demonstrations continued for a fifth straight day, the government warned of retaliation if rallies turned violent.

"Security forces will not hesitate to enforce the law against those involved in violence," defence ministry secretary Kamal Gunaratne said in a statement.

More than 60 people had been arrested in connection with unrest since Friday and many have said they were tortured in police custody.

The UN Human Rights Council said it was closely watching the deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka, which is already facing international censure over its human rights record.

"If we don't act now, there will be a river of blood in the country," said Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, a newly independent lawmaker who broke ranks with the president's party and joined calls for the leader to step down.

"We have to forget party politics and ensure an interim government."

Yesterday's parliamentary session was the first since dozens of MPs withdrew their support for Rajapaksa's government, including 16 lawmakers from the president's own Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP).

Names of the 41 lawmakers to leave the ruling coalition were announced by party leaders in parliament, reports Reuters.

They have now become independent members, leaving Rajapaksa's government with fewer than the 113 members needed to maintain a majority in the 225-member house.

Opposition parties have already rebuffed Rajapaksa's call to join a unity administration helmed by him and his elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Their government imposed a state of emergency last week in an effort to quell rising street protests, but the ordinance is set to expire next week unless ratified by parliament.

Rejecting calls for a vote on the emergency decree, the government cut short yesterday's parliamentary session more than two hours before its scheduled finish, reports AFP.

Nimal Lanza, a former minister who has also abandoned Rajapaksa's administration, conceded that the ruling party no longer had a mandate to govern and threw his support behind the crowds calling for the president's resignation.

"I beg and appeal to you to take the side of the protesters," he told parliament, addressing the prime minister, who attended the session but remained silent.

Every member of Sri Lanka's cabinet except the president and prime minister resigned late Sunday.

Former justice minister Ali Sabry was appointed to helm the finance ministry on Monday, replacing the president's brother Basil Rajapaksa, but abruptly resigned after just one day in office.

The ministry's top civil servant also resigned yesterday, a day after the central bank governor quit.

Boisterous demonstrations have spread across the country of 22 million despite the emergency laws allowing troops to detain participants and a weekend curfew that lapsed on Monday morning.

Most demonstrations have been peaceful, with Catholic clergy and nuns led by Sri Lanka's Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith leading a procession in the capital.

Economists say Sri Lanka's crisis has been exacerbated by government mismanagement, years of accumulated borrowing and ill-advised tax cuts.