1 An unstable government
Since achieving independence from Britain in 1948, Sri Lanka's government has been structured with both a prime minister and a president. The prime minister is the head of government and the most senior member of parliament. But the real power lies with the president.
One family - the Rajapaksas - has dominated the Sri Lankan political sphere, concentrating power in the hands of a few senior officials - who all happen to be related. Unsurprisingly, this has led to problems over the past two decades, including political violence against minorities and accusations of rampant corruption.
2 Economic crisis
The problems are systemic and longstanding. Through a series of terrible financial decisions, the government has spent all of the money it had, in particular the dollars. This is a problem for Sri Lanka as it relies heavily on imports.
With no cash left, importing basic necessities like food, fuel and medicines has become difficult - some products have gone up as much as five times in price.
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