Sri Lankan parties agree to form all-party govt after President's resignation

Colombo: Sri Lanka's main opposition parties have agreed to form an all-party interim government after the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday. Opposition parties held talks to seek ways to steer the country forward in the current unprecedented economic crisis after Rajapaksa's resignation. Wimal Weerawansa of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party's breakaway group said that this will be a government where all parties are represented.

President Rajapaksa informed Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Saturday that he will resign on Wednesday after the country's opposition parties demanded his resignation. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has also offered to resign.

The protesters who have occupied the key administration buildings since Saturday's mass protests said they would not leave until Rajapaksa resigns.  

The cash-starved island nation witnessed a tumultuous day on Saturday when



protesters broke into Rajapaksa's official residence in Colombo. Protesters did not spare Prime Minister Wickremesinghe despite his offer to resign and set on fire his private residence in an affluent neighborhood in the capital.

Sri Lanka Army chief General Shavendra Silva on Sunday sought people's support to maintain peace as the island nation grapples with an unprecedented economic crisis. Four ministers have resigned from the cabinet over the last two days amid the unrest.

According to an official, Sri Lanka's President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has agreed to resign on Wednesday. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has also offered to resign. In the meantime, the International Monetary Fund or IMF said it was closely monitoring the ongoing developments in the cash-starved country and hoped that the political crisis will be resolved soon to allow for the resumption of dialogue on an IMF-supported programme.