Sri Lanka crisis highlights: Fuel rationing scheme introduced amid crisis

"I served my motherland to the best of my ability and I will continue to do so in the future," Gotabaya Rajapaksa had said in his resignation letter.

The Japanese ambassador in Colombo has said there is a risk of financial assistance to the island nation being mismanaged and hence Japan won't support the country at this point, local media reported.

The UN mission in Sri Lanka has urged senior politicians to ensure a peaceful transfer of power in line with the national Constitution, following weeks of protests that finally saw the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday, ANI reported.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party has said it will not vote for any candidate during presidential vote without any future framework, local media Newswire reported.

Sri Lanka's Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara on Saturday introduced "National Fuel Pass", a fuel rationing scheme amid the raging economic crisis and shortage of fuel in the island country, ANI reported. The new pass will guarantee the allocation of fuel quota on weekly basis. A QR code will be given for each National Identity Card number (NIC), once the vehicle identification number and other details are verified.

Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, main Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa are among the four leaders who have joined the race to become the country's next President as the lawmakers met on Saturday to start the process of electing a new president. Besides Wickremesinghe and Premadasa, Marxist JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Dullas Alahapperuma, a breakaway SLPP candidate, are the other two leaders who have so far announced their candidacy to contest the July 20 vote in Parliament.

Sri Lankan energy minister Kanchana Wijesekera said on Satuday that his country has made requests for fuel to different countries. “So, any country that comes to help us, we appreciate that. Right now, the Indian Govt is the only country that has provided us with a credit line,” Wijesekera said. 

The JVP announced on Saturday that its leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake will contest for Presidency in the upcoming Parliament vote.

Registrations have opened for the National Fuel Pass- to ensure weekly fuel quota for motorists in Sri Lanka. 

Supermarkets in Sri Lanka's capital city Colombo have run out of food and other essential items, as the economic crisis in the country is worsening with each passing day. According to China Central Television (CCT), many shelves in Colombo's supermarkets were half empty and daily items such as eggs and bread were in short supply. 

Sri Lanka energy minister Kanchana Wijesekara said on Saturday that a petrol shipment is due to arrive in the country next week between July 18-19, NewsWire reported. 

Sri Lanka's energy ministry said on Saturday that a ship carrying 43,000 metric tons (MT) of diesel arrived at the country, adding another shipment of 40,000 MT of diesel is expected to arrive at night, News 1st reported. 

The World Food Programme (WFP) has said that over six million (6.3 million) people of 28% of Sri Lanka's population is 'food insecure' and the situation is likely to deteriorate. In its situation report, the WFP said on Friday of the 6.3 million people, at least 65,600 people are severely food insecure.

Prices of vegetables and fish saw a rapid surge in Sri Lanka on Saturday, a report by News 1st said. Chairman of the Peliyagoda Manning Market Association told News 1st on Saturday that the prices went up because of volume of vegetables and fish received by markets as a result of fuel crisis. 

Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said that he served the country to the best of his ability and would continue to do so in future, as he defended himself in the resignation letter which was read out in Parliament on Saturday. 

Sri Lanka's Parliament secretary-general Dhammika Dasanayake read out Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation letter in Parliament on Saturday. Rajapaksa stepped down from the President's post on Thursday and had sent his resignation letter to Parliamentary speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywarden. 

Interim President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday instructed officials prepare necessary documentation to grant a Presidential pardon to former MP Ranjan Ramanayake, according to a report by NewsWire. 

Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay called on Parliamentary speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Saturday and said that India will continue to be "supportive of democracy, stability and economic recovery in Sri Lanka".

Sri Lanka has introduced a ‘National Fuel Pass’ to ensure weekly fuel quota for motorists, a report by the NewsWire said on Saturday. 

“1 Vehicle per 1 NIC, QR code allocated once Vehicle Chassis number & details verified. 2 days of the week according to Last Digit of number plate for fueling with QR,” Energy minister Kanchana Wijesekera was quoted as saying by NewsWire. 

The United Nations mission in Sri Lanka urged senior politicians to ensure a peaceful transfer of power in line with the national Constitution. 

"The United Nations in Sri Lanka urges all stakeholders to ensure a peaceful transition of power in full respect for the Constitution," UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer said in a statement on Friday. 

Sri Lankan cricketer Chamika Karunaratne said on Saturday that “India is like a brother country” and is helping his country a lot. 

“They are supporting us when we are struggling. Thank you so much for that. Thank you for everything. We will get better and better,” Karunaratne told ANI.

Fuel shortage in Sri Lanka continued with citizens queuing at petrol pumps for days to refill their vehicles. Speaking to news agency ANI cricketer Chamika Karunaratne said, “We have to go for practices in Colombo & to different other places as club cricket season is going on but I have been standing in queue for fuel for the past 2 days. I got it filled for ₹10,000 which will last another 2-3 days only.”

The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka got underway in Galle despite Sri Lanka being hit with a severe economic crisis causing a severe shortage of essential items like fuel, medicine and food.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh said that India is trying to help Sri Lanka “as appropriately as possible” to deal with the unprecedented crisis that the island nation is facing.

"India is trying to help friend Sri Lanka as appropriately as possible despite having also been affected by Covid and Ukraine crises," Singh said on Friday. 

Sajith Premadasa, the leader of opposition of  Sri Lanka, has vowed that he will listen to the people and ensure an elective dictatorship never, ever occurs in the country, if he wins the Presidential election. 

“That’s what we should do. That is our function — catching those who looted Sri Lanka. That should be done through proper constitutional, legal, democratic procedures,” Premadasa told the Associated Press on Friday.