Protesters have stated that they will continue to occupy the presidential and prime ministerial homes in Sri Lanka until both leaders resign formally.
Saturday’s declaration by the parliament’s speaker indicated that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would resign on July 13.
However, the president has neither been seen nor made a public remark.
According to military sources who told that, he is currently on a Navy vessel in Sri Lankan waters.
According to accounts, his brother, the former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, is stationed at a naval facility in the country.
After months of protests, thousands gathered in Colombo on Saturday to demand his resignation.
The president has been accused of the mismanagement of the nation’s economy, which has created months of food, gasoline, and medical shortages.
The current prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, also announced his resignation following Saturday’s protests, during which his home was set on fire.
However, demonstrators remain skeptical of the motives of the leaders.
AFP quoted student protest leader Lahiru Weerasekara as saying, “Our struggle continues.” “We will continue to fight till [President Rajapaksa] quits,” he stated.
Political analyst and human rights attorney Bhavani Fonseka told Reuters that the next few days will be filled with political uncertainty, adding that it will be interesting to observe whether the two leaders “really resign.”
On Sunday, political leaders conducted additional discussions to discuss a seamless transfer of power.
Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State for the United States, stated that any incoming government must immediately prioritize long-term economic stability.
The speaker of Sri Lanka’s parliament told that a new coalition government must be created within one week of the president’s official departure.
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, a member of the president’s ruling party, mostly attributed the country’s economic difficulties to Covid-19.
“The Covid pandemic has wreaked economic havoc on the country, so we had to spend all of our funds on vaccinations,” he stated.
Throughout Saturday’s protests, dozens of individuals were injured. A spokeswoman for the main hospital in Colombo told the AFP news agency on Saturday that three patients were treated for gunshot wounds.
Saturday’s spectacular events appeared to be the conclusion of months of predominantly peaceful demonstrations in Sri Lanka.
Massive crowds arrived at the official mansion of President Rajapaksa, chanting and waving the national flag before breaching the barricades and entering the grounds.
Online video showed individuals prowling the president’s home and swimming in his pool, while others emptied a chest of drawers, rummaged through his stuff, and used his beautiful bathroom.
The demonstrators were aware of the juxtaposition between the opulence of the palace and the months of misery faced by the country’s 22 million citizens.
“When the nation as a whole is in such a state of stress, individuals have flocked here to alleviate their stress. It is evident from the abundance of luxuries in this home that they do not have time to serve their country “Chanuka Jayasuriya told Reuters.
Mr. Rajapaksa departed his official residence on Friday as a safety measure in advance of the planned protests, according to two sources from the defense ministry quoted by Reuters.
Even though this is Mr. Rajapaksa’s official residence, he sleeps in a separate property nearby.
Protesters also set fire to the private residence of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in a wealthy Colombo neighborhood.
He had stated on Saturday that he was willing to retire to safeguard the safety of people and pave the way for an all-party government, but shortly after his statement, videos of his burning home began to circulate.
The prime minister resides in a private residence with his family and utilizes his official residence only for official affairs.
