COLOMBO, May 9: Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned today after clinging on to power for weeks, following unprecedented anti-government protests demanding his ouster as well as the administration led by his younger brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the country’s worst economic crisis that led to acute shortages of staple food, fuel and power.
Mahinda’s resignation comes hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters outside President Gotabaya’s office, leaving at least 154 people injured and prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the national capital. At least two people, including a ruling party MP, were killed during violent clashes.
Prime Minister Mahinda, 76, sent his resignation letter to President Gotabaya after violent scenes were witnessed in Colombo.
“Effective immediately I have tendered my resignation as Prime Minister to the President,” Mahinda tweeted.
Mahinda in his resignation letter said that he is stepping down to pave the way for the All-Party Interim Government to be formed.
He said that he will be “ready to make any sacrifice even in the future in order to help the people and the Government overcome the present crisis.”
The Cabinet was also dissolved with the resignation of the Prime Minister.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Mahinda’s supporters attacked anti-Government demonstrators at MynaGoGama and GotaGoGama protest sites. The tents opposite Temple Trees, the official residence of the Prime Minister, were dismantled by a mob.
Police used water cannons to disperse the unruly ruling party protestors. The police formed a human chain to prevent the protesters from entering GotaGoGama. However, the mob pushed their way past the police human chain and attacked GotaGoGama. Around 154 people were injured in the violence.
Army troops were deployed to the protest sites to bring the situation under control. Curfew, which was initially declared in the national capital, was imposed islandwide with immediate effect until further notice, a police spokesperson said.(PTI)
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