Colombo, May 2 (UNI) An overwhelming majority of Sri Lankans say they are suffering due to the island nation’s unprecedented economic crisis, blames the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the crisis, and wants the Rajapaksa clan to simply quit politics. A survey by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) also confirmed widespread suffering and pessimism among the masses and that people want an audit done of the Members of Parliament (MPs) across the political spectrum. Around 88 per cent of Sri Lankans claim that either they or a member from their immediate family have had to stand in queues to obtain essential items such as gas, fuel, milk powder and fertiliser during the past one month. Nine out of 10 Sri Lankans claim that either his or her income or the income of a member from their immediate family has been affected as a result of the economic hardships. Close to half of all Sri Lankans – men and women equally – have taken part in at least one of the protest campaigns against those who are considered responsible for their plight, according to media reports published on Monday. Across the country, the survey said the people unanimously blame the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government for the current financial crisis, the worst in post-independence Sri Lanka.
Sixty-two per cent of Sri Lankans blame the economic mismanagement of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government while 14.5 per cent and 14.4 per cent respectively blame the mismanagement of all governments since independence and the country’s corrupt political culture. More than 96 per cent of Sri Lankans believe that all politicians should be audited and all their unaccounted wealth should be confiscated by the State. Nine out of 10 Sri Lankans feel that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa should resign and that the Rajapaksa family should leave Sri Lankan politics. Another 87 per cent support the demand that President Rajapaksa should also quit. Therefore, the survey clearly indicates that in people’s minds the Rajapaksas have no role to play in solving the crisis and removing them is seen as the way out of the current crisis. It is important to note that this view is harboured by all ethnic communities, including the Sinhala majority, who overwhelmingly voted for the Rajapaksas only three years ago. A significant majority of Sri Lankans are pessimistic about their future. Only 2 per cent believe that the country’s economy will return to its normal status soon – while 58 per cent think it will take a long time and 14 per cent think that it will take some time. A little over a quarter of Sri Lankans state that they do not know as to when the country’s economy will return to normalcy.