Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns as protests intensify

As the nationwide protest continues to intensify Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday resigned a move that is likely to pave the way for a new cabinet in the crisis marred countryThis comes days after President Gotbaya Rajapaksa in a special meeting on Friday requested the Prime Minister to step down as a solution to the ongoing political crisis in the country Sri Lankas Daily Mirror reportedNow that the Prime Minister has resigned President Rajapaksa is expected to invite all the political parties in Parliament to form an allparty CabinetEarlier the opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya SJB confirmed that its leader Sajith Premadasa will not accept the PMs post in an interim governmentOn Monday morning protesters held a demonstration opposite the Temple Trees the official residence of the prime minister urging Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa not to resignFollowing their meeting with the prime minister they clashed with antigovernment protesters near the Temple Trees At least 16 people who sustained injuries have been admitted to the Colombo National HospitalThe resignation came shortly after he put out a tweet urging the general public to exercise restraintWhile emotions are running high in lka I urge our general public to exercise restraint amp remember that violence only begets violence The economic crisis were in needs an economic solution which this administration is committed to resolving Mahinda said in a tweetResponding to Mahindas tweet former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara said The only violence was perpetrated by your supporters goons and thugs who came to your office first before going on to assault the peaceful protestorsSri Lanka has been plunged in weeks of economic crisis stemming from a foreign exchange shortage which has led to a shortage in essential supplies such as fuel food and medicinesProtests have been ongoing for days calling on the government and lawmakers to find urgent solutionsUS envoy condemns violence against protestors in Sri LankaUS Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung on Monday condemned the violence against protestors in the island country and called on the government to conduct a full investigationThis comes after protesters held a demonstration opposite the Temple Trees the official residence of the prime minister Progovernment demonstrators clashed with antigovernment protesters near the Temple Trees leading to the injury of dozens of peopleWe condemn the violence against peaceful protestors today and call on the government to conduct a full investigation including the arrest and prosecution of anyone who incited violence Our sympathies are with those injured today and we urge calm and restraint across the island Julie Chung tweetedFollowing Mahindas resignation several cabinet ministers including the health minister also tendered their resignations according to media reportsAfter tensions arose due to clashes between protesters in the capital Colombo a curfew was imposed by the police in Sri Lanka on MondayAs protests intensified in the country Sri Lankan authorities deployed the Army to ensure the security of the general publicThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever