Sri Lanka’s President Rajapaksa steps down following a day of chaos and rage

After protesters broke into his official resident and set fire to the prime minister’s residence, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he would resign.

After protesters broke into the president’s home and set fire to the prime minister’s home, compelling both leaders to announce their resignations, the streets were calm the next day.

After months of protesting over Mr. Rajapaksa’s economic incompetence, hundreds of thousands gathered to the capital city of Colombo to demand his resignation.

Mr Rajapaksa will step down on 13 July. PM Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign.

The president made the decision to step down, according to the house of representatives, “to ensure a peaceful handover of power,” and he urged people to “respect the law.”

The announcement triggered an eruption of celebratory fireworks in the city.

More discussions between political leaders are scheduled to negotiate a seamless handover of power. The military of Sri Lanka has pleaded with the public to support law enforcement in maintaining peace.

Following the events of Saturday, the United States urged Sri Lanka’s government to take swift action to address the nation’s economic difficulties.

On Sunday, political party leaders are expected to gather, with opposition MPs asserting they have the legislative majority to set up an interim government.

We require change. We don’t deserve to live like this. The politicians are to blame for what has occurred to this country, a protester named K Chandra told.

According to Sri Lanka’s constitution, the Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena would likely assume the role of acting president following the resignations of the country’s president and prime minister.

Police reported that they have detained over 3,000 persons in relation to the protests on Saturday.

According to officials, at least 50 people—including police officers—were hurt during the protests. During the protests, security personnel also attacked journalists.

People’s demands, made out of rage over the worst economic crisis to hit the nation in 70 years, have been heard clearly for months. “Gota Go Home” was a slogan that frequently referred to the president who was under attack.

Tags: Economy, Government, President, Prime Minister, Protest, Public, Sri Lanka