Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinge confirmed on Monday that he and the country’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will resign following protests that culminated in the weekend occupation of the residential palace.
Wickremesinge was the leader of the opposition and was appointed just three months ago to try to defuse the political and social crisis affecting the nation, which is considered the most serious crisis in the country’s history.
Sri Lanka is facing widespread fuel and basic food shortages, constant power cuts and has already announced that it has no money to pay creditors.
He would automatically become president, with the current prime minister Rajapaksa resigning within the next few hours. Now the parties are trying to run to resolve the spreading institutional crisis.
But local media say the current president’s resignation will only happen once he manages to flee the country, possibly to Dubai. Government sources claim that Rajapaksa has been in a hangar waiting to escape since the palace was raided.
The president, elected in 2019, is publicly accused of being responsible for the worst economic crisis in history since independence from the United Kingdom in 1948.
Since the occupation of the official residence, civilians have found more than US$50,000 hidden inside the house, and the amounts have been handed over to the police.
source: Noticias
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