A BRUTAL clampdown on a protest over the government’s decision to postpone local elections in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo on Sunday left one person dead.

The government claims not to have the finances to pay for the elections due to the country’s crippling financial crisis. 

The dead man was named as Nimal Amarasiri, a candidate for the National People’s Power (NPP) party. He died in hospital on Monday as a result of injuries sustained during the protests.

Some 15 people were reportedly treated in hospital for minor injuries.

Thousands of NPP supporters attempted to march towards the main business district in the capital, despite a court order barring them from entering the area, which includes the president’s residence and several government buildings.

The order came after last July’s massive protests, when thousands of people stormed and then occupied the presidential office and residence for days. 

The crisis forced then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

The turmoil was caused by severe shortages of some foods, fuel, cooking gas and medicine, after Sri Lanka went bankrupt because it could not repay its foreign debt. 

The country’s new President Ranil Wickremesinghe negotiated a rescue package with the International Monetary Fund for $2.9 billion (£2.4bn) over four years, but it can be finalised only if Sri Lanka’s creditors give assurances on debt restructuring.

Sri Lanka’s total foreign debt exceeds $51bn (£42.4bn), of which it must repay $28bn (£23.3bn) by 2027. 

India and several other creditor countries have so far given assurances that meet the IMF standards, but the deal hinges on whether China would agree to debt restructuring at the same level.

The Finance Ministry under Mr Wickremesinghe said that it can’t allocate sufficient funds for the March 9 elections for town and village councils, even though political parties had submitted nominations.

The decision forced the Election Commission to indefinitely postpone the elections.

Critics of Mr Wickremesinghe say that he lacks the mandate because he was elected by Mr Rajapaksa’s supporters. 

They also accuse him of protecting members of Mr Rajapaksa’s family from corruption allegations in return for backing him in Parliament.

The NPP has only three lawmakers in Sri Lanka’s 225-member Parliament but it enjoys a wave of public support after the economic crisis eroded the popularity of traditional political parties that have ruled Sri Lanka since independence from British colonial rule in 1948.