President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka formally notified Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that he is leaving from his position under increasing pressure from demonstrators.
According to Colombo Gazette, the media office for the prime minister revealed that Rajapaksa had told them that he will be leaving as previously stated. The President will step down from his position on July 13 according to a news conference that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena had earlier on Saturday.
Thousands of demonstrators surrounded the President’s House in Fort on Saturday, leading to Rajapaksa’s resignation.
In the midst of the continuous demonstrations, even the prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has declared his intention to leave his position. The demonstrators who have taken over the homes of the President and Prime Minister, however, have stated that they would remain there until they give up their positions.
The dramatic images were captured at the PM’s official house, where they could be seen playing carrom board, dozing off on the sofa, having fun in the park, and making supper.
In recent weeks, there have been reports of several confrontations between individuals and members of the police force and the armed forces at fuel stations where thousands of desperate members of the public have lined up for hours, sometimes days, as a result of the country’s deteriorating economic situation.
Following multiple COVID-19 waves, Sri Lanka is currently experiencing its biggest economic crisis since winning independence in 1948. This crisis threatens to reverse years of prosperity and seriously jeopardizes the nation’s capacity to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice. Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages.
The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty – some for the first time – adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic.
(with inputs from ANI)