Responding to a letter signed by 10 party leaders, which called for a three-week lockdown to the delta variant of the coronavirus, Sri Lanka’s ruling party, Sri Lanka Podujana Preamuna (SLPP), has slammed the signatory of engaging in a conspiracy to discredit the government.
Following intense criticism, as the average daily death toll exceeded 150, Sri Lanka’s government conceded to demands and announced a ten-day lockdown which is set to end on 30 August. However, this was far less than the recommendations put forth by Sri Lanka’s Medical Association, World Health Organisations experts, and trade unions. The letter signed by party leaders called for a minimum of three weeks for a lockdown.
Experts from the WHO called for a minimum of a four-week lockdown maintaining that it could avert the deaths of 18,000 people by January. Sri Lanka’s former Chief Epidemiologist, Dr Nihal Abeysinghe, has also called to extend travel restrictions for a further ten days. On Saturday the death toll reached 183.
Amongst those who signed the letter are Ministers Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila, and Vasudewa Nanayakkara.
Accusations of conspiracy
Responding to the letter, the SLPP Secretary General, Sagara Kariyawasam, told reporters that he had “urged the president to look into what sort of conspiracy might behind these events”. He added that “this isn’t the first time that a request has been made this way outside the cabinet after consensus had been obtained”.
He slammed the letter as a “lowly act” and accused the signatories of purposefully trying to discredit the government.
Sri Lanka’s Power Minister, Gamini Lokuge, went even further comparing the signatories to the Taliban.
“Perhaps some people believe that they too can do something similar to how the Taliban took over after the Americans left Kabul,” he stated.
He further added that “We can see that [international powers] have trapped our folks very quickly”.
In response to these statements, 8 out of 11 parties in the ruling alliance issued a joint statement criticising the SLPP General Secretary for throwing the party into an unnecessary public crisis.
Tensions within the party
On 12 June, the SLPP’s General Secretary demanded the resignation of Minister Gammanpila from the energy portfolio, for allegedly bringing the party into disrepute by increasing fuel prices.
This however contradicts the position of the Minister and others in the government who maintain that the price increase was agreed upon by a cabinet sub-committee on the cost of living chaired by the president, with the Prime Minister in attendance.
Read more here.