April 2021: Sri Lanka declared its worst financial downturn since Independence after its economic system shrank 3.6 p.c within the earlier yr, largely because of the affect of Covid-19 pandemic on the profitable tourism business. 

August 2021: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa imposed a ‘meals emergency’ to deal with shortages of meals and cease the hoarding of sugar, rice and different important meals. The ‘meals emergency’ got here at a time when banks ran out of international trade reserves to finance imports.

March 2022: Large-scale protests, aided by social media, erupted towards the federal government. The protests turned violent on March 31, after some demonstrators tried to storm the President’s residence in Colombo. At least two dozen police personnel had been injured within the clashes. 

April 1: President Rajapaksa declared Public Emergency after violent anti-government protests. In the gazette notification, he said “public security, protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and essential services” as causes for the imposition. 

April 3: The cupboard resigned en masse from their positions. However, Mahinda Rajapaksa (the elder brother of the President) continued to be the Prime Minister. Three members of the Rajapaksa household too resigned from their cupboard positions – Basil, Chamal, and the household’s scion Namal. 

April 4: Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal introduced his resignation amid escalating protests. Nandalal Weerasinghe succeeded him. 

April 5: President Rajapaksa revoked the emergency rule ordinance, at the same time as the federal government struggled to quell protests. On the identical day, his ruling coalition misplaced its majority in parliament after over 40 MPs walked out of the alliance. 

April 18: President Rajapaksa expanded his cupboard by appointing 17 new members. He additionally expressed remorse for his authorities’s dealing with of the financial disaster. “…People are under immense pressure due to this economic crisis. I deeply regret this situation,” the president was quoted as saying. 

May 6: Public Emergency was imposed for the second time in lower than six weeks. The Presidential spokesperson mentioned that the President invoked powerful legal guidelines — giving safety forces sweeping powers — to “ensure public order”. 

May 9: Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned because the Prime Minister, simply days after the President in a particular assembly requested him to step down. While the President supposed to type an all-party authorities, the Opposition rejected the thought.