Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Still In Country: Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena

President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country as confirmed by the Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

Colombo: According to a report shared by a news agency, President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country as confirmed by the Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

“President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country, I made a mistake in the (BBC) interview: Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena confirms to ANI in a telephone call.

Sri Lanka was in a political vacuum for a second day Monday with opposition leaders yet to agree on who should replace its roundly rejected leaders, whose residences are occupied by protesters angry over the country’s deep economic woes. Protesters remained in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence, his seaside office, and the prime minister’s official home, which they stormed on Saturday demanding the two leaders step down.

It marked the most dramatic day of protests during three months of a relentless crisis that has pushed many to the brink of despair amid acute shortages of fuel, food, medicine, and other necessities.

The protesters, who come from all walks of life, vowed to stay put until the resignations of the leaders are official. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Saturday he would leave office once a new government is in place, and hours later the speaker of Parliament said Rajapaksa would step down Wednesday. Wickremesinghe’s office said Monday that Rajapaksa had confirmed his earlier decision to resign on Wednesday.

Also Monday, a group of nine Cabinet ministers announced they will quit immediately to make way for an all-party government, outgoing Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe said. Wickremesinghe’s office said meanwhile that another group that met the prime minister decided to stay on until a new government is formed.