A large group of protesters stormed the office of Sri Lanka’s prime minister Wednesday morning, prompting the leader to declare a nationwide state of emergency after the president fled the country earlier in the day.
Security forces had deployed tear gas as protesters stormed the building, with several demonstrators attempting to climb the security tower, according to reports. Demonstrators said they would continue to occupy the building until all the nation’s leaders resign, echoing demands that have prompted months of protests nearly dismantling the country’s government.
SRI LANKAN PM RANIL WICKREMESINGHE AGREES TO QUIT AMID BIGGEST POLITICAL TURMOIL
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to Male, Maldives, with his wife and two bodyguards on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press — virtually ending a family dynasty that has ruled the country for almost two decades. In his departure, Rajapaksa appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting president in the interim.
Wickremesinghe had previously vowed to resign but signaled he would wait for the country’s political parties to agree on a new government before doing so.
“Today in this country we have a fuel crisis, a food shortage. We have the head of the World Food Program coming here, and we have several matters to discuss with the IMF. Therefore, if this government leaves, there should be another government,” he said on Saturday.
Wickremesinghe was appointed as prime minister in May as the president hoped he could use his diplomacy to resuscitate the country’s collapsed economy and ease tensions. Sri Lanka’s economy has experienced months of turmoil, largely relying on aid from outside countries and experiencing severe shortages of food, fuel, and other necessities.
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Protesters’ frustrations came to a head last week when demonstrators stormed the president’s residence and a nearby office to demand the country’s top leaders resign. Leaders of Sri Lanka’s Parliament later decided to request the two to step down.
Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign, although he has not offered a timeline for when he will do so. Rajapaksa has not agreed to step down, but his future as the country’s leader is uncertain amid the unrest.
