action against this regime as it is how to security reform plan has become a rallying cry for the opposition. if they aren't included in the process, it's likely the protests like bees will continue. and failure to reach consensus on next year's election could prove or complicate the nation. struggle for democracy. benton malin al jazeera, ah, this is al jazeera, these, you top stories, ukraine and russia say, all civilians have been evacuated from the besiege as of stole still works. women, children, and elderly residents motto poll have been trapped inside for months, taking on to taking shelter there as russia intensified as attacks on the city. the face of ukrainian soldiers holding out in the facility is unclear. the daring to the u. s. intelligence agency, the cia says he's convinced vladimir putin is doubling down on the when ukraine,

when inbound says, despite the resistance from ukrainian forces, the russian president is not willing to lease i think he's on a frame of mind in which he doesn't believe he can afford to lose. so the stakes are quite high in this phase and, you know, the east of ukraine, as you know, you cranes, military with support, you know, from the west continues to resist. but i don't think this means that, you know, a potent is deterred at this point because he stick so much on the choice that he made to launch this invasion that i think he's convinced right now the doubling down still will enable him to make progress. a european union envoy will visit iran on she's days block, seeks to save b 20 d nuclear. cold talks to revive the deal i've been on hold. and smart talib need is

enough. got us don't have ordered women to cover the entire body while in public. the decree came from the tell about supreme. lita says if a woman refuses to cover her body from head to toe, her father, a male relative can be sent to prison or fired from government jobs. hong kong, next leaders, jews, we confirmed in the coming hours. john lee was the only candidate in the race to succeed carry lamb, he'll be chosen by an election committee or 1500 people veteran by facing the lead of the national party. shouldn't fain says her parties election, which is a defining moment for northern irish politics. they'll become the largest policy and parliament for the 1st time, beating their pro u. k. unionist rivals, sion fain was once the political on the i on a, which spend decades fighting against british rule as you had lots nice. continue on out there often side story. 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? what's the way out this is inside story? ah, i 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 to 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. we're bringing our guests to just a moment, but 1st report from out here is michelle, fernandez in colombo police. were among the few state employees working in sri lanka on friday. these water cannon anthea guest to disperse, hundreds of protested, gathered at medicaid ceiling off the entrance to parliament inside the building, and she javert than to 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 ports were disrupted strictly with government and board. i bet i'd like to so responsible for these failures the free lunch i therefore, we don't believe they can develop this country her after. therefore, we are asking mil goldman new uh, new leadership, a new system for sri lanka. that's why all the people i get together for one umbrella, demonstrations and marches like this, have been a common site in the capital, colombo and around the country. in sheila, on the northwestern coast, fishermen also took part in the protests. i mean, what they said 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 pitcher 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, a good, a popular and people who in the, given some of a some of his own family members of 5 of them out now. so we decided changes he attain his making effort. and so i think i am, we are trying to help him. he has given us a challenge. we are trying 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 say the last work stoppage of this scale was 69 years ago

. but a 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 it our guests for today's discussion in columbia, we have for body fonseca, a senior researcher and attorney at law with the center for policy. alternatives from bangkok were joined by allan cut gama, who's a political economist and senior lecturer at the university of jeff enough. and also in colombo, jan pereira, executive director of the national peace counsel of sure anchor warble. come to you all a body from sector. if we can start with you social like as economy as we heard, has gone into free fall, it's the worst financial crisis since independence in 1948 and the people seem to be putting the blame squarely at the feet of one man, president roger parks or go to buyer. how on earth to chill anchor, get into this mess? a thank you again for having me on the show. it's

a very timely discussion because we, i, and border political and economic crisis. now we've seen the warning signs, so some time there's been several policy issues that were disastrous, the tax, the fertilizer ban. and there was a lot of good byes 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 to zone. and that's hughley because the keeper to, to the streets peacefully due to economic con, shoots. 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 rituals. 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 gone out in bangkok, the opposition and protest us are accusing the government of quote, criminal financial mismanagement or i'll shall anchors. current roles was solely the respond, but the responsibility, the fault of, of the government. busy or are other factors at play here to by so this is the worst crisis re 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 were 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 port squarely on this government. and even though this as a, 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 we 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 regime 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 so 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 that's what the people are calling for. it wouldn't be very hard to get out this crisis to hand forever. 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 it to find what i said earlier. and that relates to the elected criminal mismanagement by this government. and the 2 incidents that i like to talk about texas time spent, 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 rates. income tax is relatively low and it has been more value added. the x is indirect higher, but in any event that tests read very low government team and smashed existing test

driven by you. and as a result that revenues with the government came down. now the reason for the government stated that the reason is that they were going to do more incentives to people, businesses and more, and then develop the economy and provide employment. but also the reason was that they were facing a general election off the presidential election a few months. maybe that would be the general election. so it is very likely that the government did to the people then get the then the 2nd. absolutely. next. think about this is sort of taken by the government, was the president to jewel, to all the night, the band band, the use of chemicals. and when digital organic farming organized the question about north country and what was into all any fun 100 percent of best developed countries like germany, you 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 they don't want to cancel that. they know that that the 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 in your line of credit. india has been generous enough to give us a line of credit you bought food and medicine are 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, enormous losses. and now they attended a lease out $24.00 plans. our $21.00 plans in the next few months, so 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 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. me need to recognize the fact that president gold harvey raj, a pastor had no political elected of his 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 are just not just the winning the war. but the wire lesions associated with that and allegations of serious while ation 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 for immediate post war them very serious incident while issues, but also are 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 adrian economy was veridian his campaign from these guys are we says 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 turns 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 caught. but now instinct have traction because people feel that the hardships they're facing is directly attributed to these one individual or whale. 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, sri lanka, 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 racing new shannon off quarter garage massive and also abolishing the office so that we do not see or to repeat in the future are helen is roger boxer finished what you think he's going to find a way to, to cling to power at could you foresee a situation sometime in the future were roger parks and 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. um, the more in the country is to called for prosecutions against them for our duke allegations of corruption. so they're going to try to drag this out as long as they can. and the longer they drag it out, it's going to be very painful for the country. the protests that we've seen in the

last few weeks, they are unprecedented. perhaps the only time we had purpose of this order, but way back in 1953. when we had the great hot towel in the entire country, the shut down and yesterday be more or less saw the entire country shut down with massive protests. these protests are not going to ease until the roger pucks is gone. but slowly, there is also a pole to abolish the executive presidency. because while the roger boxes have really aggravated the situation, there are systemic problems, both with i economy and our politics in 1978 be brought about the executive presidency until then we were mainly a westminster style parliamentary system. and this has time. and again, a heap huge amounts of powers in one individual. a soon after a go to by rounded parts of 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 1978, 3 like a liberalized economy. and he started living beyond our means. we started importing everything. they decided to run a economy on debt. the. i'm a major debt crisis. now that the boring thing is that even if the roger boxes go, they're going to have to go sooner or later. they've completely lost legitimacy. they don't really see a pop forward out of this crisis, even from the opposition. the only thing that the opposition has said, and now the government is also moralist taking the same position. and that is to go to the i m f for an island agreement which might, you know, provide some short term credit. might you help us restructure a bit, but that's only about rolling over debt. what are we going to do in terms of a massive trade deficit?

no, john mentioned the the tax cuts. so you guys had 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, as moralists doubles are be going to put more burden on it. but there's no thinking either from the opposition, none of the kind of it 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 form 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 year, 2 years in terms of this, that the consequences of this very serious crisis. okay, to hand a i had i'm was saying that he thinks that roger parks will try to, to, to stay on. he stands accused of ever seeing 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, shoreline 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, a corruption of robbing the country and its people? are they right and what about the the roger pack? so dynasty of they now finished politically due to this crisis at the present time. and i'm interested in a position to the rog, amazing,

i just hear people shouting against the roger, calling them roll, then getting them to board that they want them to need. this could not have been in my didn't 3 months ago. but now the feeling of people only opinion has come to people. that's the reason we are having this shortage in the country is that the rather have stolen the all the dollars that the stolen by them. because really bad because it's not only in them that have led this fun to do this very sorry past. so anyway, that's how the angle people is there gonna be very difficult for them to stay on? i agree with that, and the question is, what type of expected did they did them? so i would 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 more crime because that was the right people. because the majority, who was there are actually quite great to their having ended the war were having one the role for having ended the war. and they consider the price that those paid by this time of the which of course, the time people don't degree the international human rights groups don't tell me. 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 crimes, 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 see the government a few years ago. and if you do speak, i in parliament he resigned. then he saw the government say, then he contested the election again in parliament and he wanted. and then the next day he resign. today's chaos within the government. so this chaos with all this stuff. yes. the if there are the boxes, if they resign and you that is of us did you did preferably hopefully with all parties involved in the vonnie. i've got about a minute left on the on the program here. so i need 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. the people who are going to suffer under most, and we see that at the present moment, whether it's going to get much,

much harder. and there is no plan. but can i just also meet these point, the recipient shown by the people, the fact that they've 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 past as 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 the 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,

pencil 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. with may, 9th, the philippines will vote to elect a new president to replace rodrigo the 3rd day and more than 35 years in the

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a burden. countless babies are aborted in india simply for being girls. but amidst these resistance, even from her own patience, a fearless midwife has adopted the course of challenging, deeply ingrained traditions and terminating this modern day beat aside. the daughter 3, witness on algebra may analogies, era frontline reporting an in depth analysis. we bring you the latest on the ukraine war and the unfolding humanitarian crisis documentary, but inspire with me things world issues into focus through compelling human stories . the philippines votes in one of asia, biggest election over 35 years since the country emerged from his father's dictatorship could frontrunner ferdinand mouth was junior to take the top support

al jazeera investigative program, full blind for tons, with a special theories on abuse in the boy scouts of america, lebanon goes to the polls, but will political change help the country find its way out of its crippling economic crisis may on al jazeera. ah, i marlene side indo hall here top stories on al jazeera, ukraine's government says all civilians have been evacuated from the steel plant in the southern city. if not a po for mom, civilians and soldiers had been trapped inside the facility as russia intensified its attacks. i said, beg has more from ukraine central city of mon, out and safe ukraine says all women, children and the elderly.