Colombo, May 7 (DailyMirror) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last evening, during a special cabinet meeting, requested Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign from the Premiership, as one of the solutions to solve the ongoing political crisis in the country.
Senior sources told Daily Mirror that President Rajapaksa while discussing the ongoing issues in the country said that one of the alternatives to solve the ongoing political instability would be to appoint a new Prime Minister and an interim government.
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Prime Minister Rajapaksa, who had not responded immediately later said that if the President feels that by his resignation, the economic crisis and political instability would ease, then he would give his blessings to a new cabinet and government.
However, by last night there was no official confirmation if the Prime Minister would resign although there were rumours that an official announcement would be made by Monday. Along with the Prime Minister, it is also expected that the cabinet will be dissolved.
The Prime Minister’s Media Secretary Rohan Weliwita however was quick to jump the gun last evening to release a statement quoting the Prime Minister saying he had no plans to resign and the President had not asked him to resign as well.
● SJB urges Speaker to table NCM against President and government at earliest dates
However, by last night there was no official confirmation if the Prime Minister would resign although there were rumours that an official announcement would be made by Monday.along with the Prime Minister, it is also expected that the cabinet will be dissolved.
The Prime Minister’s Media Secretary Rohan Weliwita however was quick to jump the gun last evening to release a statement quoting the Prime Minister saying he had no plans to resign and the President had not asked him to resign as well. However this statement seemed to be false after cabinet ministers confirmed that President Rajapaksa had requested his Prime Minister to step down during the cabinet meeting.
However, the President himself seemed to be in utter confusion as just last morning at a meeting with Mayors and members of the SLPP local government, he had said he would not form a government without Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sources said that with the President’s decision also changing from time to time, it was unclear if his decision to ask the Prime Minister to step down would remain even through the weekend.
The President is somehow of the view that if an interim government is formed with all parties, the political instability would ease and this would calm the protestors who have been calling on the President and his government to resign and go home.
Meanwhile the main opposition, the SJB yesterday urged Speaker Mahinda Yapa to table the No Confidence Motions against the President and government at the earliest dates to which the Speaker had agreed to call for an All Party Leaders meeting on Monday to discuss the matter and set a date. (Jamila Husain)
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