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Sri Lanka's prime minister agrees to step down following demands by party leaders
Earlier today, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had summoned an urgent cabinet meeting
Photo by AFP
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign after party leaders in Parliament demanded both he and the embattled president step down on the day protesters stormed the president's residence and office.
The prime minister’s spokesman, Dinouk Colambage, said Wickremesinghe told party leaders that he will resign when all parties have agreed on forming a new government.
His decision came after the biggest protest yet swept Sri Lanka on Saturday as tens of thousands of people broke through barricades and entered President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence and nearby office to vent their fury against a leader they hold responsible for the nation’s worst economic crisis.
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He also called on lawmakers to come together to form an all-party government
This comes as many Sri Lankans make desperate bids to flee the crisis-ridden island
Wickremesinghe highlighted that the unrest had delayed a possible deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
This year marks the 65th anniversary since the establishment of a diplomatic relationship between the two nations
Former president fled from the country on July 13
Wickremesinghe is expected to expand 18-member cabinet to accommodate members from opposition
President Wickremesinghe had initially aimed to reach a deal by early August