Sri Lanka: Protesters Storm PM's Office

Protesters in the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, stormed the office of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, according to "Sputnik".

Local security forces tried to disperse the protesters using tear gas.

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In the same vein, the lower house speaker said Wednesday that Wickremesinghe has been appointed as acting president after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled abroad, as thousands of protesters called for the two men to step down.

“Because of his absence from the country, president Rajapaksa told me that he has appointed the prime minister to act as the president in line with the constitution,” Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana said in a brief televised statement.

Last Saturday, participants in a months-long protest against the government of President Gotapai Rajapaksa, in Colombo, seized the residence of the president and prime minister.

Rajapaksa announced his resignation on July 13, and according to the media, he had left the country, and the government declared a state of emergency.

Sri Lanka is experiencing its worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the tourism sector, a major source of foreign exchange, leaving the country unable to buy enough fuel, in addition to the shortage of food, basic necessities, medicine, and gas.

Many parts of Sri Lanka are facing constant power outages due to fuel shortages. At the same time, the island nation's external debt is estimated at $51 billion.