in compliance with united states sanctions, that means he can't visit that country, just like the outgoing chief executive hong kong people will have no say in the selection. that task falls to an election committee drawn from hong kong business and political elite. a committee vetted by a panel that included john lee, adrian brown, al jazeera, hong kong. ah, hello, you went down to 0. these. the stories were following this hour, ukraine's deputy prime minister says all women, children, and elderly people have been brought out of the besieged, still works plant in mary, a poem for wakes. about 200 civilians were sheltering with ukrainian soldiers and the underground tunnels and bunkers of the sprawling complex is still works, has been the last pocket of resistance in the southern port city. the later of the world health organization has urged russia to declare a cease fire on

a visit to the ukrainian capital key if he called on moscow forces to stop targeting health care facilities. w joel has now verified 200 attacks on health care in ukraine. since the war begun, these attacks must stop. health care is never a target. brazil's luez in a c o, lula da silva, has launched his presidential campaign, and he has promised to rebuild a deeply divided brazil, ravaged by the pandemic and economic crisis. the left us later is trying to unsafe the far right incumbent j a bow scenario in october's election. the leader of nationalist party, she insane says her parties election, which is a defining moment. the northern irish politics though, become the largest party in parliament. the storm on for the 1st time bathing their pro u. k. unionist rivals. she in fact was once a political arm of the i r i,

which been decade fighting against british room. and then you on the ground has been sworn in for a 2nd term, is french president. he's promised to build a stronger front and avoid the mistakes of his 1st term to be under the booklet. it's the french people who choose their representatives and president who are giving me this mandate to day. the french people have not extended my term that began in 2017. a new france, different to that of 5 years ago, has given a new precedent, a new mandate. and taliban ladies in afghanistan have ordered women to cover their entire body while in public, the decree came from the taliban supreme laid them. it says if a woman refuses to cover her body from head to toe, her father or my relatives can be sent to prison or fight from government jobs. those are the headlines then use continues here on al jazeera, after inside story, to stay with us. ah.

shall anker's economic crisis is getting worse. it's president, has yet again declared a state of emergency to deal with growing public anger. but what brought the nation to this unprecedented situation of what's the layout this is inside story ah hello. welcome to the program. i'm adrian finnegan. the island nation of sri lanka is in crisis that been food and fuel shortages for weeks. and power cuts have become the new norm. many say they're struggling to get biped and they blame the

government for mishandling. the economic situation. calling on president got a buy a roger packer to resign. there was a general strike on friday that shut down much of the country. in response, the president's office re imposed a state of emergency saying that it's needed to ensure public order will bring in our guests to just a moment. but 1st, a report from out here is michelle, fernandez in colombo police, were among the few state employees working into lanka on friday. these water cannon anthea guest to disperse, hundreds of protested, gathered at barricades sealing off the entrance to parliament inside the building. and she javert didn't put her opposition, representatives marched into the speaker's office, asking him to ordered the police to stop that operation. the also demanded, he set a date for a no confidence motion. they're putting forward against the government, the government under increasing pressure to resign, facing

a 2nd nationwide strike in 8 days. hospitals, railways, postal services, schools, and poets were disrupted strictly with government and board. i bet i'd like to so dress wanted well for these failures the free lunch i therefore we don't believe they can be well up this country her after. therefore, we are asking mill, gone one mill, mill leadership, a new system for sri lanka. that's why all the people get together for one umbrella, demonstrations and march, as like this have been a common site in the capital, colombo and around the country. in sheila, on the northwestern coast, fisherman also took part in the protests. i mean, what is it gonna be? what we have more than 15000 fishing families in this area? we're all helpless. so we'll protest today tomorrow and in the future it, i did hear that the government has admitted its foreign reserves. have fallen to just $50000000.00 us dollars, leaving it unable to buy essential food medicine and fuel. queues have stretched

the kilometers around most pictures stations in recent days. after months of insisting it has things under control, the government is now approach the international monetary fund for a bailout. and president got up a roger puts a, has replaced his cabinet as cause increased for him to step down. his new media minister told al jazeera roger boxes making an effort and should be supported to bring stability. he got into some good popular, and people who in the can some of a some of his own family members of 5 of them out now. so we decided the changes, he attained his mission effort. and so i think i'm, we're trying to help him. he has given us a challenge via time to face that challenge and find solution to people go to heaven says that new team should be given 6 months to a year and a half before elections are held to decide a way forward. trade union said the last work stoppage of this tale was 69 years

ago, but our warning they will launch an indefinite strike. if the government does not, he demands for it to resign. men of fernandez, ojo 0 colombo ah. all right, let's bring in our guests for today's discussion in columbus, we have for body fonseca. a senior researcher, the attorney at law with the center of a policy alternatives from bangkok were joined by allan carry gama, who's a political economist and senior lecturer at the university of josh enough and also in colombo, jan barrera, executive director of the national peace council offshore lanka warble, come to you all a body from secretary can start with you. so. so like as economy as we heard has gone it a free fall. it's the worst financial crisis since independence in 1948 and the people seemed to be putting the blame squarely at the feet of one man, president roger parks, or go to buyer. how on earth did shoreline could get into this mess?

and thank you again for having me on the show. it's a very timely discussion because we, i and board the political and economic crisis. now we've seen the warning signs. so some time there's been several policy issues that have heard disastrous attacks, the fertilizer ban. and there was a lot of advice given to the government over the last one and a half to 2 years that the decisions being made and the mismanage was going to lead to some kind of crisis. but only a couple of weeks ago was this really realization by the government that we are we are in, is asked, is known. and that's purely because the people talk to the streets peacefully due to economic countries. if you look at it, you have long lines to get us in shall items. some items are not available, no other cars. so for the last few meets people have been,

he's will be protesting. and as a result, in early april, there was mass resignation of the government and several of the key to which was and now we're having a crisis point where they the continuous demand by the people for the president and the prime minister to resign. the regardless of the demands they continue to would office helen, kind of gama in bangkok, the opposition and protest us are accusing the government of, quote, criminal financial mismanagement, all shall anchors, current roles, woes solely the respond. but the responsibility, the fault of the government, or are other factors at play here to by. so this is the worst crisis for long kinds going through since the 1930s. and we've been in a crisis trajectory for some time. and certainly over the last 12 years. but

certainly when the coven pandemic hit 2 years ago, it was amply clear that we're going to going to balance of payment problems. and this government did absolutely nothing to address that. so that's why i think that the blame has to be put squarely on this government. and even though this as a is, is a crisis long in the making dec rubbing many things done so that they don't reach this sort of a point where people can't even get down essential goods. and now that the, the question is how do the move from here and from this crisis, which even though the can't find the finance minister says it's going to take 2 more years. i think the probably in a crisis for the next 5 years to a decade, with a region that has completely lost legitimacy, this government has no legitimacy among the people. it's not going to be able to lead the people out of this crisis, a crisis of disproportion, your need,

the state and society to work together. people have to be mobilized for that. we can start to rebuild our economy and with a government that has completely lost legitimacy, because over the last 2 years, even as the situation was deteriorating, they did little. they gave little relief for the people that did nothing in terms of reducing our imports. so that we could have saved a foreign exchange. so all of that is the reason why there is so much anger against this a government. and now, unless there is a complete change in the government from the president, the prime minister, the, the entire lot of them and, and that's what the people are calling for, is, would be very hard to get out this crisis to hamper ever. and this government may have lost legitimacy, then put, would an opposition lead government for any better at managing the crisis than the incumbent government? i mean, by fixing this crisis,

they'd have to inflict further economic pain on people. would the people tolerate that or could a government led by the current opposition become just as unpopular as the incumbent one? very quickly i let you add to finance do what i can understand and that relates to the elected criminal mismanagement by this government. and the 2 incidents that i'd like to talk about 10 times that they immediately brought in as soon as the president was elected in northern but 2019 has historically active in the last 1020 years had lower tax income tax is relatively low and it has been more value added, the x is indirect higher, but in any event that tests really low. so the team and smashed existing test

driven by you. and as a result that revenues the government came down now was the reason for the government stated that the reason is that they were going to do more incentives to people to business and more and then develop the economy and provide employment. but also the reason was that they were facing a general election after the presidential election a few months. maybe that was the general election. so it is very likely that the government that to the people then get the then the 2nd. absolutely. next. think about this is sort of taken by the government. was the president joe, to all the night, the band band, the use of chemicals. and when didn't log in to find me organized, you know, punching the word was into all the any find the 100 percent of best developed countries. they germany have maybe 10 to 15 percent organic,

100 percent. right. all the land is organic on disaster and that's been the 1st game about the opposition if they take up, but they don't want to cancel that. they know that high it had to be didn't, but i'm sure they be more rational. i like this done when we can. yeah, absolutely rational in the some of the decisions in being and also give you another example that in your line of credit, india has been generous enough to give us a line of credit. you bought food and medicine, our government, this government is important to you with that money. then in another example, a vendor recently that last making national ally, it had all of it be making losses in enormous losses. and now they're finding a lease out $24.00 plans. our 21 plans in the next few months. or if you don't have the money to do that, ok. but on it, i just want to concentrate from

a middle to on the man at the center of this crisis. roger parks a got a buyer. who is he? he was once known as the terminator, the most feared, manage rank and politics. the former leader of the military who brought about the defeat of the separatist tunnel tigers in 2009. and how much power does he have the recalls fully executive presidency to, to be abolished up can and should that happen? oh, to start. oh, great. meaning to recognize the fact that president gold coverage impacts there had no political elected office. inga experience when he came in in 2019, he was an administrator, he was a secretary to the minister defense and development. and he's identified as the architect of winning the war in 2009. and, and backed records speeds were just not just the winning the war, but the wild ations associated with that and allegations of serious violations,

speed still. and in the we drove all comes from a military background and did not care about you, process human rights. all of those concerns and many of us have been calling for for several years now. 2009. we saw that record and balls flaw, immediate post war them very serious incident while asians, but also for actually be one of that in 2019. and very soon after the easter sunday attacks, which devastated sri lanka, there was this strong leader the call for a strong lead, an incident leading or whatever act. pepsi came on saying he's ready to be that lead and guide she none of her back to security. and slam beat any konami prosperity and his campaign from these guys are we stirs of prosperity and splendor . now tries forward 2 and a half years. there has been

a complete disaster spectacularly. disaster where people are now starving, they do not. i able to get a sin, shall i times medicine is in short supply. you don't really know what was for people to morrow. now, in this disastrous sac context, there is growing calls for his resignation, but also in terms of abolishing the executive precedents. now that call has been decades, many of us have been making that call. but now instinct have traction because people feel that the hardships they're facing is directly attributed to these wanting to which will or will so much power and one dimension. now we've just seen or when night, where he has declared a state of emergency that ties with our executive precedent. but it's, it's a broad base power. and in the past re longer, we've seen emergency regulations been used to a crash to descend,

go of to pretty go out of minorities. so he continues to wield a lot of power. and the disaster is what they're seeing now is directly associated to him. so it's bought the resignation off quarter garage must have been also abolishing the office so that we do not see such repeats in the future. i am or is roger boxer finished or do you think he's going to find a way to to cling to power? could you foresee a situation sometime in the future were roger parkson, members of his, of his government and up in court. i think they're going to try to stay on in power as, as long as they can. the more in the country is to called for prosecution against them for validation, for corruption. so they're going to try to drag this out as long as they can. and the longer the dragon told it's going to be very painful for the country. the

protests that we've seen in the last few weeks, the unprecedented, perhaps the only time we had protests of this order, but way back in 1953. when they had the great heart towel in the entire country, the shut down and yesterday be more or less solid, the entire country shut down with massive protests. the sport is not going to ease until the roger boxes go. but slowly, there is also a call to abolish things to the presidency, because while there are boxes, i'm really aggravated the situation. there are systemic problems, both with economy and politics. in 1978. be brought about the executive presidency until then be, but mainly a westminster style parliamentary system. and this has time and again, a heap huge amounts of powers in one individual. as soon after a go to biologic proxy came to power and after the parliamentary elections,

he brought about the 20th amendment to the constitution to keep for the pilot, so abolishing the executive presidency is important. similarly, we're back in 19783 lanka, liberalized it's economy. and they started living beyond me and we started importing everything decided to run i economy on the major crisis. now, the boring thing is that you can use the roger boxes go, they're going to have to go sooner or later. they completely lost legitimacy. they don't really see apart forward, out of this crisis, even from the opposition. the only thing that the opposition has said, and now the government is also moral of taking the same position. and that is to go to the ins for an agreement which might provide some short term credit might help us restructure debt. but that's only about rolling or what are we going to do in terms of a massive trade deficit?

no, john mentioned the or the tax cuts. see, like i said, a budget deficit and that needs to be reduced, but that means increasing taxes. but if you increase the value added tax, which is an indirect tax levied on all people, it's, you're only going to increase the burden on the people who are already suffering. now the price of bread has doubled the price of petrol and be so have doubled that even the price of rice is more or less doubles. i'll be going to put more burden on it. but there's no thinking either from the opposition, none of the kind of elite circles in colombo, about a process of redistribution, so that the working people are able to face this crisis. similarly, what are we going to do in the long term? are we going to really try to mobilize agriculture? john mentioned this major crisis in agriculture, unless you provide relief for the farmers and mobilize them to stop producing again, they're going to get facing a very serious for crisis. it could be going into

a family type of conditions in the next few years. but right now the focus is on getting the roger boxes out. but people aren't thinking what they are going to be facing in the next 2 years in terms of this, that the consequences of this very serious crisis. okay, to hand a i had, i was saying that he thinks that roger parks will try to, to, to stay on. he stands accused of overseeing war crimes. he came to power on the back of for the strong man reputation. and we've been hearing about the roger packs us, of course the family shrine because most powerful family dentistry. they've dominated politics and she'll anchor for for 2 decades. the opposition accuse him president roger boxer and his government of corruption, of robbing the country and its people, are they right? and what about that? the roger packs, a dynasty of they now finished politically due to this crisis at

the present time. i'm presented our position to the raj. amazing. i just hear people shouting against the rock, the boxes falling them, roll them, sending them to board that they want them to need. this is, this could not have been in my didn't 3 months ago. but now the feeling of people only opinion of the people. that's the reason we are having this other shortage in the country is that there are stolen that all the dollars that the stolen by them. because not really bad because it's not only of them that have led this fun to do this very sorry past. so anyway, that's how the angle people is there are gonna be very difficult for them to stay on. i agree with that, and the question is, what type of a set that they themselves are going to a feeling very insecure that are all of these allegations against them ranging from the economic crimes to the war crimes that you spoke about earlier. we didn't talk

in this country much about walk, right? because that's where i says people because the majority who what they're actually quite grateful to their having ended the war having won the role for having ended the war and the country does the price that those paid by this time for me. which of course, that how many people don't agree the international human rights groups go into agreement. but because they were so difficult to bring this issue up. but now people are talking quite openly about economic crimes. and along with the economic trying to little problem, i mean now there was, especially was there. so this is, this is something that we have to think about how to enable them to feel a little bit more secure in order to give up the power which they need to give up.

be con, gone this way. there's no lid, you must be in the government a few years ago. and if you do speak i in parliament to resign, then he, he's from the government say, then he contested the election again in parliament he wanted and then the next day he resign. today's chaos within the government. so this fiercely loading this stop . if the, if there are the boxes, if they resign and you love is of us did, you did, preferably, hopefully with all parties involved in. but funny, i've got about a minute left on the, on the program here. so i need a, a reasonably brief answer from you. whatever happens in, in the near term. and that's not good news for ordinary people in short anchor, isn't it? the things are economically going to get worse before they get any better. is adrian and that's the unfortunate thing. he said that he does, people who are going to suffer under mold. and we see that at the present moment, whether it's going to get much,

much higher and there is no plan. but can i just also made the point, the resilience shown by the people, the fact that they been coming to the streets, they were t, i guess yesterday the purpose i'm be regardless of the wireless and the media issue, people are coming out because that be mind is very clear, go long or tabby or go home or on to pastors. he's great here. but that is only going to solve certain issues. we need to think about the long term and that requires not just the, the opposition. he needs to be all stakeholders. but also communicating a plan and i think that's something we can talk about, communicating and informing people what is in store for that near the meadows, the long term. okay, there we must end it. i'm afraid many thanks. indeed for being with us. are all of you a body fonseca? i helen, cut a gama and she hand pereira, thank you for watching. don't forget, you can see the program again at any time. just by going to the website. benson al

jazeera dot com for further discussion. go to our facebook page, you'll find that at facebook dot com forward slash ha inside story. and of course, you can draw the conversation on twitter or handle at ha, inside story. from me, adrian finnegan, of the whole team here and go off. thanks for watching. i'll see you again. bye for now. ah may analogies ever frontline reporting it in depth analysis? we bring you the latest from the ukraine war and unfolding humanitarian crisis

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