'Gota Go Gama' demonstrators deny 'false claims' of meeting Sri Lanka President

Colombo: Demonstrators against Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led government in Sri Lanka have denied claims that they had met the Sri Lankan President and alleged that false claims were being made in an attempt to scuttle the ongoing struggle at Galle Face.

Protestors in the island country have been protesting for nearly two months now at Galle Face, situated near the secretariat and the protest site ‘Gota Go Gama Village’ has gradually grown. With the country battling with an unprecedented economic collapse due to diminishing foreign reserves and huge debts, the protestors have been demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya. The slogan of the popular protest is ‘Gota Go Home’, stating that President Gotabaya should leave office and on social media the protests have been trending as ‘#GotaGoGama (or Gota Go Village)’.

Speaking to reporters, ‘Gota Go Gama’ activist Randimal Gamage said that no one from the ‘Gate Zero’ the ‘Aragalaya’ or ‘Gota Go Gama’ at Galle Face met the President, Colombo Gazette reported.

However, earlier, the demonstrators have said that two monks had met the President and claimed that they represent the “Aragalaya” (struggle) at Galle Face.

‘Gota Go Gama’ activist Randimal Gamage said that the main demand of the demonstrators is that the President must resign from his post.

He said that false claims are being made in an attempt to scuttle the ongoing struggle at Galle Face, reported Colombo Gazette.

A group calling itself the Confederation of Professionals for a National Policy had met the President and presented a set of proposals outlining actions that should be taken to resolve the current political and economic situation.

The President’s Media Division (PMD) had said that the proposal was handed over to the President at his official residence in Colombo on Wednesday.

On Saturday, the protest in front of the Presidential Secretariat at Galle Face Green in Colombo marked its 50th consecutive day. The protests demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa started off on April 9 and since then it has been continuing 24/7.

The island nation also witnessed a series of violent incidents including the burning of houses of several parliamentarians after a clash between a pro-government group and anti-government protestors near the residence of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting a large number of the citizens, resulting in massive protests over the government’s handling of the situation.

The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a fall in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as reckless economic policies, like the government’s move last year to ban chemical fertilizers in a bid to make Sri Lanka’s agriculture “100 per cent organic”.

Due to an acute shortage of foreign exchange, Sri Lanka recently defaulted on the entirety of its foreign debt amounting to about USD 51 billion.