Sri Lanka's cabinet has resigned en masse during economic crisis

Sri Lanka's cabinet has resigned en masse during economic crisis

Transcript¹

NPR's A Martinez talks to Vandana Menon, a reporter with ThePrint, an Indian online newspaper, about protesters in Sri Lanka demanding the president step down.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

In Sri Lanka, where an economic crisis is growing, more than 40 lawmakers walked out of the ruling coalition² today. That leaves the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the minority in Parliament. There have been new calls today for both the president and prime minister to step down after the entire Cabinet resigned on Sunday. Shortages of food, medicine and fuel have sparked countrywide protests, and security forces have fired tear gas and water cannons³ at protesters marching on the president's home.

Vandana Menon is a reporter with The Print. We talked earlier.

VANDANA MENON: I've never seen total unity⁴ like this before. It's like a mini Arab Spring in Sri Lanka. People spontaneously broke curfew on Sunday to protest, as did members of the opposition⁵. But yesterday, on Monday, it was very clear that the curfew was over because the streets were completely full of protesters, especially at major traffic junctions⁶. Cars were passing by, sounding their horns in support. Some people even got out of their vehicles to join the protest. People didn't seem to mind the traffic congestion⁷ at all. The most popular slogans are ones calling President Gotabaya Rajapaksa a thief and asking him to go home. And it's mostly young people and middle-class people who were out on the streets protesting.

MARTINEZ: The soaring inflation and the shortages in the country - what's been the impact of that?

MENON: Oh, there's a huge fuel crisis, and you can see vehicles queuing up at petrol stations. Hospitals have had to stop surgeries last week because of power cuts and shortages of medicines. Exams are canceled because students don't have paper. There are severe shortages in milk, milk powder, sugar, rice. When the curfew was announced on Saturday afternoon - it came into effect at around 6 p.m. - there was panic-buying, and shelves and grocery stores were empty. People seem to prefer accepting payments in U.S. dollars or Indian rupees over Sri Lankan rupees. That's how bad the currency is doing.

MARTINEZ: How has the government responded to these demonstrations⁹?

MENON: Members of the opposition have been joining the demonstrations. But on Sunday, 26 Cabinet ministers resigned, except the prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Yesterday the president invited all members of Parliament to apply for any ministerial position. The people seem to be unhappy about this, and several Sri Lankans have told me that the changes in the Cabinet seem cosmetic¹⁰. Another popular slogan last evening was, resignation does not mean reassignment, which is what the government seems to be doing. Ali Sabry, the justice minister, was sworn in as finance minister yesterday, but he's already submitted his resignation today, just one day into the job.

MARTINEZ: Considering the inflation, the shortages, the demonstration⁸, any indication at all that President Rajapaksa will step down?

MENON: No, he seems to be holding on quite firmly. His party, the SLPP, lost majority last night when 42 members of Parliament decided¹¹ to go independent. But Parliament has reconvened today. Let's see what happens. The Rajapaksas are a very political - a powerful political family, and they won in a landslide¹² in 2020. So let's see what happens.

MARTINEZ: Vandana Menon is with The Print, reporting from Colombo, Sri Lanka. Thank you very much.

MENON: Thank you for having me.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 cannons   

n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cannons bombarded enemy lines. 大炮轰击了敌军阵地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• One company had been furnished with six cannons. 某连队装备了六门大炮。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 junctions   

联结点( junction的名词复数 )； 会合点； （公路或铁路的）交叉路口； （电缆等的）主结点

参考例句：

• Metals which were mutually soluble would tend to give strong junctions. 可互溶的金属趋向于产生牢固的结合点。
• Some adhering junctions are present as narrow bands connecting two cells. 有些粘附连接以一窄带的形式连接两个细胞。

7 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

8 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

9 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

10 cosmetic   

n.化妆品；adj.化妆用的；装门面的；装饰性的

参考例句：

• These changes are purely cosmetic.这些改变纯粹是装饰门面。
• Laughter is the best cosmetic,so grin and wear it!微笑是最好的化妆品，所以请尽情微笑吧！

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。