President succumbs to gunnies!

President Mahinda Rajapaksa last night gave in to pressure from violent traders and agreed to defer the compulsory transport of vegetables and fruits in plastic crates by a month.

The decision follows a meeting between representatives of traders and the President.

The move comes despite Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando until late last evening refusing to change his stance on the law, though he gave in with relief and other supportive measures for traders.

Yesterday too protests continued as the traders of the country’s premier wholesale vegetable collection centre in Colombo, Manning Market took to the streets again, blocking main roads and threatened not to move until a satisfactory response was received from the President at the evening discussion.

The protests also continued in other cities where farmers and traders burnt vegetables; blocking public roads took a violent turn with police firing tear gas at the mob.

Angry protesters in Dambulla in the Central Province set fire to a bus and attacked Police with clubs injuring two officers and caused extensive damage to whole sale collection centres.

“A total of 45 protesters were arrested from Dambulla and another 38 from nearby Badulla for breaking the peace and they were granted bail after producing before magistrates,” Police Spokesman Superintendent of Police Ajith Rohana told Daily FT.

Police and Army had to be deployed to the main vegetable collection centres in these areas but no vegetables and fruits supplies arrived in Colombo and other centres forcing a severe price hike in vegetables around the country.

Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa informed Minister Johnston Fernando in Parliament of the need to consult stakeholders at grassroots level before enforcing laws and called for stronger engagement to end the crisis that has been stagnating since Monday when 40 lorries were taken into custody.