Colombo (Sri Lanka), May 9: As the nationwide protest continues to intensify, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Monday, a move that is likely to pave the way for a new cabinet in the crisis-torn country.
This comes just days after President Gotbaya Rajapaksa, in a special meeting on Friday, asked the Prime Minister to step down as a solution to the country's ongoing political crisis, according to Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror. President Rajapaksa is expected to invite all political parties in Parliament to form an all-party Cabinet now that the Prime Minister has resigned.
Earlier, the opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) announced that its leader, Sajith Premadasa, will not accept the position of Prime Minister in an interim government.
Protesters gathered outside Temple Trees, the prime minister's official residence, on Monday morning, urging Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa not to resign.
They clashed with anti-government protesters near the Temple Trees after meeting with the prime minister. At least 16 people have been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital with injuries.
The Prime Minister resigned shortly after posting a tweet urging the public to exercise restraint.
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"While emotions are running high in #lka, I urge our general public to exercise restraint & remember that violence only begets violence. The economic crisis we're in needs an economic solution which this administration is committed to resolving," Mahinda tweeted.
Former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara responded to Mahinda's tweet, saying, "The only violence was perpetrated by your 'supporters' - goons and thugs who came to your office first before going on to assault the peaceful protestors."
Sri Lanka has been in an economic crisis for weeks due to a foreign exchange shortage, which has resulted in a shortage of essential supplies such as fuel, food, and medicines.
For days, protesters have been calling on the government and lawmakers to find immediate solutions.
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-PTC News