Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to resign after party leaders in Parliament demanded that he and the embattled president step down, on the day protesters broke into the president's residence and office.
Denok Kulambag, the Prime Minister's spokesman, said on Saturday that Wickremesinghe had told party leaders that he would resign when all parties agreed to form a new government.
His decision came after the largest wave of protests in Sri Lanka, where tens of thousands of people broke through barriers and entered the residence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his nearby office to vent their anger against a leader they see as responsible for the worst economic crisis in the country.
Thousands of protesters in Colombo stormed the presidential residence in one of the largest anti-government rallies in the crisis-hit country this year. Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe called an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the situation and reach a quick decision, ANI news agency reported.
At least 21 people including two policemen were injured and hospitalized in the ongoing protests, hospital sources told Reuters.
Last week, Rajapaksa called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to help his country import fuel as it faces its worst economic crisis in seven decades.
“Had a very productive telecon with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. While thanking him for all the support extended by his govt to overcome the challenges of the past, I requested an offer of credit support to import fuel to #lka in defeating the current econ challenges,” Sri Lanka’s President said.
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