Mahinda Rajapaksa took shelter at naval base

By Our Special Correspondent

Sri Lanka's embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday said he will appoint a new Prime Minister and a young Cabinet this week which would introduce constitutional reforms, amid continuing protests over the nation's worst economic crisis that ousted his elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa who is under protection at a naval base in the wake of violent attacks on his aides.

The 76-year-old Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) leader, known for his brutal military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during his presidency from 2005 to 2015, is being given protection amidst nationwide protests over the government’s failure to tackle the worst economic crisis.

He is also facing calls for his arrest from Opposition politicians for inciting violence against peaceful anti-government protesters who were seeking his resignation as well as that of his elder brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for mismanaging the country’s economy. Speaking on the violence, the President said what happened on Monday was very unfortunate. "The murders, assaults, acts of intimidation, destruction of property, and the series of heinous acts that followed cannot be justified at all," he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "deeply concerned" about the escalation of violence in Sri Lanka and calls on all parties to exercise restraint and find a solution to the ongoing crisis through dialogue, his spokesperson said. UN human rights Chief Michelle Bachelet said she was "deeply troubled" by the escalation of violence in Sri Lanka and called for a thorough and transparent probe into the attacks on anti-government protestors and members of the ruling party.

The Human Rights Watch also condemned the "partisan response" to anti-government protests in Sri Lanka.