Sri Lanka cabinet ready to forego responsibilities after new govt takes over: Report

Amid the civil protests in Colombo, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday convened a parliamentary committee meeting to reach a political solution and subsequently end the ongoing crisis. Providing minutes from the meeting a statement by Wickremesinghe's office said that the cabinet ministers who attended the meeting assured him that they were "ready to hand over responsibilities" to the proposed all-party government that is expected to form in the coming days, ANI reported. The meeting came after Wickremesinghe offered to resign following the tumultuous protests in the island capital Colombo on Saturday.

Three-month of demonstrations turned violent on Saturday after protestors stormed the Presidential residence and decided to remain in until Rajapaksa announced his resignation. Following the nationwide discontent with the Rajapaksa clan, the Sri Lankan opposition factions met on Sunday to reach a consensus on installing a new government after both Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe offered to quit. In the wake of the dramatic protests, Wickremesinghe said Saturday he would leave office once a new government is in place. Shortly after, the speaker of Parliament said Rajapaksa would step down Wednesday.

Protestors discover LKR 17.85mn inside Rajapaksa's home

Infuriated protestors who broke into President Rajapaksa's seaside mansion on Saturday found at least 17.85 million Sri Lankan rupees stacked inside. A video showing demonstrators counting cash inside Rajapaksa’s residence emerged, which spread like wildfire triggering a massive backlash. The confiscated funds were reportedly handed over to the local police.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa agrees to resign on July 13

Amid this gloomy situation, the speaker of Parliament said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would step down Wednesday, July 13. In a televised address on Saturday late at night, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said he informed Rajapaksa that parliamentary leaders had met and decided to oust him from the Presidential post. Abeywardena claimed the embattled President agreed to step down on Wednesday and added he would remain on the post till the country finds its new President. "He asked me to inform the country that he will prepare his resignation on Wednesday the 13th because there is a need to hand over power peacefully," Abeywardena said. The dramatic situation in Sri Lanka came as millions of protestors who have been protesting on the streets for the last three months entered the President's official residence despite heavily guarded military security.

(Image: AP)