April 5, 2022
1 min read

Lankan President rules out stepping down

On Monday, Rajapaksa held back-to-back political meetings amidst public protests throughout the nation, calling on the President and government to resign…reports Asian Lite News

Amid the ongoing political upheavel in Sri Lanka triggered by the massive economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said that he will not resign, but is ready to hand over the government to whichever party holds 113 seats in Parliament.

On Monday, Rajapaksa held back-to-back political meetings amidst public protests throughout the nation, calling on the President and government to resign, reports the Daily Mirror newspaper.

Voting will take place when Parliament convenes on Tuesday to see which party holds 113 seats or above.

The President’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) SLPP is now trying to hold on to its 113 seats so that it can continue in the government even with a simple majority, while Mahinda Rajapaksa remains the Prime Minister.

If the government fails to show its numbers then a proposal will be made to the Speaker to call for a debate to see who would be the new Prime Minister and as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has decided, the government will be handed over to the new party.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main coalition partner the SLPP, announced that all 14 lawmakers would leave the government and stand independent.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a former Defence Secretary in his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government, played a crucial role to end 26-year-long war against Tamil rebel Tigers. At the 2019 Presidential election, he was elected President with a sweeping 2/3 majority with over 6.9 million votes.

Lack of dollar reserves and depreciation forced economic crisis lead to severe shortages of fuel, LP gas, electricity and essential food and people are demanding Rajapaksa to give up power immediately.

ALSO READ: Lanka: Opposition ruins President’s move

Previous Story

Sanjay performs well to give his best

Next Story

West condemns Bucha killings, urges probe

Latest from -Top News

54 killed in overnight airstrikes in Gaza

It was the second night of heavy bombing, after airstrikes Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children Multiple airstrikes have hit Gaza’s southern

BNP seeks non-interference with India

Calls for non-interference, long-term cooperation, and bilateral trust-building as region faces new challenges A senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has emphasised the need for India and Bangladesh to build

Pakistan gets 2nd IMF payout

The IMF’s mission visit to Islamabad, initially planned for this week, has been delayed due to security concerns stemming from growing regional tensions Pakistan has officially received the second tranche of its

Delhi Pushes for TRF Terror Tag at UN

The TRF, an affiliate of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), which has been listed as an international terrorist organisation by the UN….reports Asian Lite News An Indian delegation met with senior UN counter-terrorism
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Lankan inflation hits new high

The higher inflation for the month of February 2022 was

5 SL fishermen missing after cyclone Mandous

Over 21,000 Sri Lankans were affected, with over 5,600 houses