Hundreds of people block roads over gas shortage in Sri Lanka
Colombo, May 8 (EFE).- Hundreds of people defied the state of emergency in Sri Lanka on Sunday to block several key roads in Colombo in a protest against weeks-long cooking gas shortages amid Sri Lanka’s severe economic crisis.
“We cannot feed our children because there is no gas,” a protester on Armor Street, who asked not to be identified, told Efe.
“This government has been very negligent with the essential needs of the people,” he added.
People have been unable to obtain cooking gas cylinders due to supply shortages in the country with part of the supplies transported by the trucks being looted by desperate people.
Despite the state of emergency, declared on 6 May, protests continued near the office of Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and massive rallies swept the country demanding his resignation.
Prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is expected to announce his resignation on Monday to facilitate the appointment of a new government, two government sources who asked for anonymity, told Efe.
The Sri Lanka Bar Association proposed on Saturday an interim government that includes all the parties in parliament to end the dire situation. The proposal was backed by the main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya.
Sri Lanka is struggling with a severe economic crisis that has caused shortages of essential materials such as food, fuel, medicine or cooking oil. EFE
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