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Prime Minister of Sri Lanka agrees to resign

July 9, 2022

epa07759248 Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka testifies before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) at the Sri Jayawardenapura parliamentary complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 06 August 2019. A Parliamentary Select Committee was appointed by Speaker Karu Jayasooriya to probe the security lapses that led to the Easter Sunday bomb attacks on 21 April 2019. Though prior information is said to have been available to Sri Lankan intelligence services and police through their Indian counterparts, they had not been taken seriously. With the huge public outcry over the government's inability to prevent such terror attacks which had come to a standstill since the end of the war in 2009, Parliament appointed a select committee represented by all parties in parliament to probe the lapses. EPA-EFE/M.A.PUSHPA KUMARA

Colombo, July 9. /TASS/. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe confirmed on Saturday that he would resign.

“To ensure the continuation of the Government including the safety of all citizens, I accept the best recommendation of the Party Leaders today to make way for an All-Party Government,” he wrote on Twitter. “To facilitate this I will resign as prime minister.”.

Earlier the country’s news portal Newsfirst reported that Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign. “Prime Minister is ready to resign,” the portal said following a meeting of leaders of political parties headed by the parliament speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

Wickremesinghe told the participants of the meeting about his decision, according to the portal. Sri Lankan PM will resign after a government consisting of all parties is formed.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Colombo on Saturday, demanding resignation of sitting head of state Gotabaya Rajapaksa. They managed to break into his residence, and later – into the residence of Prime Minister. Over 30 people were wounded during the protests, including several policemen.