Sri Lanka economic crisis: Central Bank Governor resigns, Prez invites parties to accept cabinet posts

Apart from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his elder brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, all 26 cabinet ministers tendered letters of resignation during a late-night meeting, education minister Dinesh Gunawardena informed reporters.

The action clears the way for the president to form a new cabinet on Monday, with some of those who are standing down perhaps being reappointed. It came with the country under a state of emergency issued when a throng attempted to assault the president's mansion in Colombo, as well as a statewide curfew in force until Monday morning.

Here are top updates: 

• Sajith Premadasa, LoP in Sri Lanka gives a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi: "Please try and help Sri Lanka to the maximum possible extent. This is our motherland, we need to save our motherland." Talking about elections, he further said, "I can tell you, I myself and we all have been ready ever since we entered social service and political service. We are ready for any eventuality."

• "I have today tendered my resignation as Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the context of all Cabinet Ministers quitting," tweeted Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

• Apart from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his elder brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, all 26 cabinet ministers submitted letters of resignation at a late-night meeting. 
• Internet service providers were ordered to block access to social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter, but the blackout did not deter several small protests across Sri Lanka. The restrictions on social media were eased in the second part of Sunday.
• On Sunday, approximately 600 individuals were detained in Sri Lanka's Western Province for breaching a 36-hour statewide curfew and attempting to conduct an anti-government march in response to the country's greatest economic crisis. Opposition MPs, headed by their leader Sajith Premadasa, marched to Colombo's historic Independence Square on Saturday, breaching a weekend curfew imposed by the government ahead of the scheduled rally on Sunday.

• According to the report, police and riot police used water cannons to disperse the gathering before firing tear gas, adding that the atmosphere in the region is tense.
• "#GoHomeRajapaksas" and "#GotaGoHome" have been trending on Twitter and Facebook in the island country, which is suffering from acute food shortages, significant price increases, and debilitating power outages in its most painful slump since independence from Britain in 1948.
• President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency on Friday, a day after a throng tried to attack his residence in Colombo, and a statewide curfew remained in force until this morning. According to police, at least 664 persons were detained for disobeying the curfew.
• The South Asian country is experiencing catastrophic food, gasoline, and other vital shortages, as well as record inflation and debilitating power outages, in its most painful slump since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.

• Due to low demand, Air India said on Sunday that it will cut its India-Sri Lanka flights from 16 to 13 per week beginning April 9. Sri Lanka is now in the grip of its greatest economic crisis in its history.
• Hundreds of students from the University of Peradeniya flocked to the streets in Central Province to protest the country's current condition of affairs. However, authorities set up roadblocks around the institution.
• Rajapaksa has defended his government's actions, claiming that the foreign exchange issue was not his fault and that the economic slowdown was mostly caused by a pandemic, with tourism earnings and inbound remittances dwindling.