Colombo (Sri Lanka) — The prime minister of Sri Lanka agreed to resign Saturday following demands from party leaders in Parliament that both the president and the president resign. This was after protesters stormed his residence and office, expressing anger at the worsening economic crisis.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of India, stated in a voice statement that his resignation will be effective when all the parties have agreed to form a new government.
“Today, in this country, we have a fuel shortage, a food scarcity, and the head of World Food Program is coming here. We have many matters to discuss with IMF. He stated that if the current government leaves, there should be another one.
After the largest protest in Sri Lanka’s history, tens of thousand of people broke through the barricades to enter President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s home and office nearby to vent their anger at a leader they believe is responsible for the country’s worst crisis.
Footage captured people enjoying a swim in the backyard pool. Many people sat on the beds and others drank tea. Rajapaksa, Wickremesinghe had to leave immediately.
Wickremesinghe stated that he suggested to President Rajapaksa to form an all-party government but did not mention Rajapaksa’s whereabouts. The formation of a new government was being discussed by the opposition parties in Parliament.
Rajapaksa named Wickremesinghe prime minister in May, in the hope that Wickremesinghe would use his contacts and diplomacy to revive a crumbling economy. As oil prices dropped and fuel and medicine shortages increased, people lost patience.
Many protestors accuse Wickremesinghe, who was under pressure to resign because every other member of his powerful political family had quit the Cabinet, of trying to save Rajapaksa.
It wasn’t clear whether Rajapaksa was at his home when the house was stormed on Saturday. Mohan Samaranayake, a government spokesperson, stated that he did not have any information regarding Rajapaksa’s movements.
Later, leaders of political parties in Parliament met and decided to ask Rajapaksa to resign. Rauff Hakeem, an opposition lawmaker, said via Twitter that Rajapaksa had resigned and Wickremesinghe had resigned. He stated that a consensus had been reached and that the temporary president of Parliament should be taken over by the speaker of Parliament.
As Sri Lanka’s leaders attempt to negotiate a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund, their economy is in serious trouble. People are left without food, fuel, and other essentials due to the economic collapse.
Protests have erupted for months, almost threatening to dismantle the Rajapaksa political family that has ruled Sri Lanka for the majority of the past 20 years.
After violent protests, the president’s elder brother was forced to resign as prime minister and he sought safety at a naval base. Protesters blame the Rajapaksa family for creating chaos in Sri Lanka through poor management and corruption allegations.
Security personnel attempted to stop demonstrators from running across the lawns and into the building of colonial-era architecture at the president’s residence.
At least 34 people, including two police officers, were injured in the scuffles that occurred when protesters attempted to enter the residence. According to a Colombo National Hospital official, two of the injured are in critical condition and others have minor injuries. He spoke under anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to the media.
After an overnight curfew was lifted by police, thousands of protestors flooded the capital. Fuel supplies being scarce, many protesters crowded onto trains and buses to get to the capital, while others rode bicycles or walked.
Rajapaksa was urged to resign by protestors and religious leaders, claiming he had lost the mandate of the people.
Ven said that Ven’s claim that he was elected by Sinhala Buddhists is untrue. Omalpe Sobitha is a prominent Buddhist leader. He called on Parliament to immediately convene to elect an interim president, but he said Wickremesinghe didn’t have the support of the people.
Wickremesinghe stated last month that the country’s economy had collapsed. Wickremesinghe stated that negotiations with IMF were difficult because Sri Lanka is now bankrupt.
Sri Lanka announced in April that it would suspend repayments of foreign loans because of a shortage of foreign currency. The country’s foreign debt totals $51 billion, of which $28 billion must be repaid by 2027.
The police had placed a curfew on Colombo and other major urban areas Friday night, but it was lifted Saturday morning after opposition from lawyers and politicians who claimed it was illegal.
U.S. U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung asked for peaceful protests and asked that the military and police give peaceful protestors the space and security they need.
Chung tweeted that “Chaos and force will not fix Sri Lanka’s economy or bring the political stability that Sri Lankans require right now.”
___
