World News | Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Writes to President Rajapaksa Calling for His Resignation

Colombo, Jul 9 (PTI) Sri Lanka's Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Saturday asked President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to resign immediately to make way for an all-party government after the country witnessed its biggest protest yet amid an unprecedented economic crisis.

Abeywardena in a letter to Rajapaksa, whose whereabouts are still not known, informed him about the outcome of the party leaders' meeting he had convened this evening after which Wickremesinghe offered to resign and form an all-party government.

Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Anti-Government Protesters Set Fire to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's Private Residence in Colombo ( Watch Video ).

Abeywardena told Rajapaksa that party leaders wanted him and Wickremesinghe to resign immediately, Parliament to be convened in seven days to appoint an acting president, and appoint an interim all-party government under a new Prime Minister commanding majority in Parliament. It was also decided to call for elections within a short period of time and install a new government.

Rajapaksa appears to have gone underground in the face of massive public anger over an unprecedented economic crisis that has brought Sri Lanka to its knees.

Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis Updates: Bandula Gunawardana First Cabinet Minister to Resign After PM Ranil Wickremesinghe Steps Down; All Party Interim Government in Next Few Days.

Thousands of protesters stormed the official residence of President Rajapaksa, whose whereabouts were unknown and it is believed the 73-year-old leader left the house before the massive mob arrived.

At least 45 people, including seven security personnel, were injured in clashes between security forces and the protesters – some of them holding Sri Lankan flags and helmets - who had gathered in large numbers in the Fort area, demanding President Rajapaksa's resignation.

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, crippled by an acute shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, and other essentials.

The country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, had announced in April that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026.

Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at USD 51 billion.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)